The Youkai and the Exterminator
by Wheezambu
Summary: Sesshomaru and Sango. CHAPTER 51 IS UP. This one is almost done. :
1. One

_**The Youkai and the Exterminator**_

_**Chapter One**_

Sesshomaru stalked through the forest, irritation fairly radiating from his body. He was absolutely furious, but careful not to let a hint of his inner turmoil touch his face. It was insufferable that he, Sesshomaru, should be in the debt of a human.

He had attacked Naraku's stronghold that morning after having tracked the elusive creature to his lair. Sesshomaru refused to call that thing a youkai. To him it was no more than a disgusting abomination, something to eradicate in the name of demonic decency. Normally Sesshomaru would not trouble himself over such a pathetic excuse for a monster, but Naraku had annoyed him with his petty machinations.

Reason enough for the youkai lord to hunt the monster down and slaughter him personally.

His sharp ears detected a hesitant step behind him and a familiar smell wafted towards his nose. Jaken. Fear was all over his toad-like servant and no wonder; it was due to Jaken's continuing ineptitude that he was now in such an unenviable position of owing anything to a lowly human, and a female at that. If the repulsive little imp knew what was good for him, he would avoid his master for a few days.

Sesshomaru had left Jaken to watch over Rin while he moved against Naraku. It was really all the fool was good for as his cowardice in battle was an embarrassment. Jaken often dared to grumble about his position as babysitter, but the truth was that Sesshomaru didn't have a better option. Usually he could count on the child to obey his orders to the letter and she enjoyed amusing herself with Jaken. He had felt secure leaving her in the care of his loyal retainer; as much as he despised his role as caretaker Jaken would never dare allow harm to come to Rin.

Therefore, it was with a misplaced confidence that he had left the two of them that morning. Naraku's current stronghold was located at the base of a rocky cliff; the foul monster's poisonous miasma lingered over desolate valley he had chosen for his hiding place. Sesshomaru had no concern for the corrosive nature of Naraku's poison; it would hardly affect him, a daiyoukai of impeccable bloodline and power. He had left Jaken and Rin safely on the edge of the cliff, instructed to wait there until their lord was finished with his business of destroying his enemy.

Sesshomaru let the ghost of a snarl cross his perfect features. Nothing ever seemed to go as smoothly as he planned. Just as he had been about to take Naraku completely by surprise and put an end to his filthy existence, his despised half-brother had decided to show up and make a nuisance of himself.

_That fool_, he thought angrily. Once again, Inuyasha and his bumbling companions had ruined the carefully planned execution of his strategy.

Sesshomaru swore to himself, chewing on his anger at his brother's stupidity. The damn idiot charged in, screaming his head off as usual, swinging the Tessaiga around like a club instead of the mystical and powerful weapon it truly was.

Sesshomaru wasn't quite as bitter over the sword anymore; he had to admit that Toukijin suited him well. The sword's intrinsically vicious nature made it an excellent tool for his purposes. He looked forward to the irony of beheading Naraku with the forged remains of his own previous incarnation.

You would think that even Inuyasha would have realized by now that the only way to destroy Naraku was to take him by surprise. Sesshomaru nursed his annoyance at his hanyou brother. Naraku, foul lowlife abomination that he was, was still quite clever.

Clever enough to ensure that he had an escape plan anyway. Almost as soon as Inuyasha had begun his assault on Naraku's keep, the miasma had increased to a stifling intensity and the building itself began to dissolve and float away like corrupt blossoms on the wind.

Cursing his luck, Sesshomaru had chosen to withdraw from the area, his plan in ruins and his desire for blood again thwarted. He had paused to consider the likelihood of engaging Inuyasha in battle to work off some of his frustration, instead choosing to leave as the idea of suffering his half-brother's company even long enough to beat some sense into him truly repelled him.

That was when it had happened. Furious at Naraku's escape, Inuyasha had let loose with one of Tessaiga's more dramatic attacks and tried to stop the fleeing monster. If asked, Sesshomaru would have advised against unleashing a Kaze no Kizu in an enclosed, unstable valley weakened by corrosive vapors. The ground trembled violently under Inuyasha's blow, shaking the rocky precipices surrounding the valley and initiating a truly impressive avalanche of stone and debris to rain down to squash his brother and the weak human bodies of his companions.

Sesshomaru was unconcerned with trivial matters like rockslides and simply held up Toukijin to ward off the annoyance of several tons of rock falling on his head. He was mildly interested in how his brother would manage to preserve the lives of his friends under such an onslaught. Across the valley, he noted that someone, most likely the monk, had thrown up a barrier against the falling stone. Sesshomaru snorted in amusement; once again, a human from the consequences of his own stupidity rescued his brother. He himself might prefer death in such a situation.

A faint, high scream of terror suddenly pierced the air around them even as the dust began to settle. Sesshomaru glanced upward to see a tiny form falling through the sky, tumbling helplessly as the cliff wall slid into nonexistence.

_Rin!_

His mouth tightened in anger as he watched the child fall to her death. He was unable to extract himself from the rock in time to prevent it. He would not be able to restore her broken body to life once again, even if this was nothing but a simple fall. Naraku's miasma hung thickly in the air, if that foul substance claimed her, there would not be enough left of Rin to resurrect.

Cursing angrily, the demon lord summoned a surge of power from Toukijin's blade, sending stone flying as he fought to free himself in time to save the girl, knowing already that it was useless. She was gone, her body dissolving in the sickening miasma.

As he pulled free of the rubble, a blur of motion caught his attention. A lithe white form shot through the poisonous aura towards where Rin had fallen and plunged in after the girl. Moments later, the cat-youkai emerged from the miasma, her rider holding tight to Rin's unconscious form as they struggled to gain altitude and escape Naraku's deadly vapors. Sesshomaru flung himself into the air in pursuit as the cat demon headed for the top of the cliff.

oOo

Kirara touched down lightly, her graceful paws whispering over the soft grass. Sango dropped her legs over the cat's side, still holding the little girl. She'd made a lucky, damn lucky, catch when she had caught the child just moments before she would have hit the rocky ground.

Sango only hoped she'd been fast enough, she had no idea what the brief exposure to the fumes would have done the little girl. Rin's face was pale, but she seemed to be breathing normally enough. For a moment, she wondered if she and Kagome could possibly concoct an antidote to Naraku's poison. It was worth a try.

"Release her," an icy voice ordered. Sango whirled around, her free hand automatically going for her sword. Inuyasha's brother was approaching her, a menacing expression on his face. This little girl must be the same one that they had seen traveling with the demon. The same one her own little brother had almost murdered on Naraku's orders. Sesshomaru had spared Kohaku's life that day.

Sango's lip curled in contempt as she regarded the youkai lord. According to Inuyasha, Sesshomaru had only spared Kohaku because he'd lost interest in killing someone who couldn't feel pain or fear due to Naraku's manipulation.

"Why would a demon care what happens to a human girl?" Sango demanded, her arms tightening protectively around the child. "What is she to you?"

He regarded the young woman impassively. "I said, release the girl, exterminator. I will not spare you if you do not obey."

Sango stared at him, knowing she was certainly no match for a youkai of Sesshomaru's level. She shook back her hair and glared at him with all the hatred she could muster.

"You don't order me, demon."

He was on her so fast that Sango only saw a blur. Sharp claws suddenly touched her throat. "Do you presume to challenge me, human? This child is under my protection and I will not ask you again. Comply or I shall destroy you."

Sango met his threatening golden eyes and refused to let her face show him any fear. Deliberately, she let the little girl slide to the ground and Sesshomaru allowed her to back away. Kirara growled angrily and Sango quickly put her hand on the cat's head to quiet her. She threw her leg over the Kirara's back and buried her hands in the soft white fur to stop them from trembling.

"Under your protection? Is that what you say about all your slaves? That child belongs with her own kind, humans. She's not a toy for your amusement!"

Sesshomaru made no move to touch Rin. "Ignorant woman, you understand nothing about youkai. By your choice, I should abandon her in some hovel of a village, to live like an animal in squalor and filth. Her fate is no concern of yours. Go, before I change my mind and forget that I'm feeling merciful."

Sango nudged Kirara and the cat sprang into the air, soaring over the side of the cliff. "You could have at least thanked me!" she shouted over her shoulder.

He stared after her and a slight frown crossed his face. A measly human and I, Sesshomaru, should thank her?

It was all Jaken's fault, he decided. If the fool had kept Rin safe, protected her as was his duty, she never would have been close enough to the edge of that cliff to fall. She never should have been in danger at all, let alone rescued by the hands of that exterminator while he himself was helpless to protect his charge. The arrogance the woman appalled him. Thank her!

He stopped suddenly. "Jaken?"

The toad hurried forward, eager to redeem himself. "Yes, my lord?"

Sesshomaru flicked his fingers over his shoulder and sent a sharp strike of youki at Jaken without looking back. He heard a sizzle and a painful yelp from his servant.

"Thank her," he muttered again. It was unacceptable that he should be in the debt of that creature, that human. He must find a way to erase this obligation.

oOo

It was early evening and Sango knelt next to a clear running stream. The exterminator washed her hands carefully and then splashed the icy water on her face. As soon as they could find a hot spring, she was going to take a bath. The stench of miasma clung to her hair and the smell made her sick.

Kagome smiled at her, passing her friend a piece of soap and a towel. "You did the right thing, Sango. Even if Sesshomaru didn't appreciate it, you couldn't just let that little girl die."

"I know," Sango murmured. The youkai's cold arrogance still chafed at her, she didn't expect thanks exactly, but he'd treated her as if she was an insect that wasn't worthy of his notice. She wondered again about the little girl, what was she to Sesshomaru? Was she his slave, perhaps? Some kind of servant?

Shuddering, she hoped to hell that it wasn't something more sinister. Some demons were absolute monsters and she didn't want to think of a helpless little girl kept for some dark and twisted amusement of a youkai.

She had been curious about Inuyasha's older brother since the first time she'd seen him. They were so different and so similar at the same time. As a demon exterminator, Sango was professionally interested in the different variations of youkai. Inuyasha was the first inuyoukai that she'd ever met. Her father had told her long ago that the Western dog demons were vicious, belligerent and extremely territorial.

Sango grinned, that certainly applied to Inuyasha when he was in a temper. It still surprised her that Kagome was able to inspire feelings of protectiveness, let alone compassion, in the acerbic hanyou.

Still reflecting on this, the exterminator walked back to the campsite. Ahead of her, she could hear Kagome's cheery voice talking to Shippou. Her friend was protective of the kitsune and Inuyasha was protective of Kagome. Could it be that Sesshomaru felt something similar for the mysterious little girl? He said that she was under his protection, not that she was his property, which would have been more comprehensible coming from a demon that regarded humans as mere vermin. She would probably never know the truth, but either way she hoped the child was safe.

Miroku was stirring something in a pot over the fire and Sango sniffed the air hopefully. The monk was actually the best cook of the group and she looked forward to his creations. He grinned as she approached him.

"I'm not so sure about this one," he told her. "I didn't have much to work with."

"It smells wonderful, houshi-sama," she said.

His eyes twinkled mischievously. "I practice constantly. No woman can resist a man that cooks for her."

Sango blushed as she grinned back at him. He was always such a flirt. "We'll see if your stew is up to standard, I'd hate for you to put in all that practice for nothing."

His laugh rang out in appreciation. "So would I, dear Sango. I guess tonight it will have to stand on its own merit." She smiled and started to reply when a cold wind suddenly blasted through the small glade where they had made their camp.

Inuyasha dropped to the ground from the tree branch that he was sitting on and scowled. "Shit, not him again!"

Kagome stood up also, holding Shippou tight against her chest. "What is it, Inuyasha? Is something coming?"

He didn't answer her, but pulled the Tessaiga from its sheath. Sango immediately grabbed Hiraikotsu from where she'd left it leaning against a tree.

"Are we being attacked?" she asked.

"If you were, you'd never see it coming," a voice said from the darkness. Sesshomaru allowed the humans to see him now, his brother had sensed his presence only moments before and now he stood looked over the small group with cool disdain.

"What the hell do you want?" Inuyasha growled menacingly. When Sango had told him that his brother was in the area, it had been just a matter of time before he made his intentions known. The hanyou was still spoiling for a fight after Naraku giving them the slip once again.

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows at his brother's belligerent stance. "I want nothing from you, half breed. I have come bearing a gift."

The demon lord turned and seized something from the dark forest behind him. He held a struggling young man by the back of his hair, his feet dangling several inches above the ground.

"Kohaku!" Sango shouted, leaping forward at the sight of her brother. Miroku's swift hands stopped her before she could throw herself at the youkai.

"Let him go, Sesshomaru!" the monk demanded.

Sesshomaru gave them an impassive stare. "I was correct, this human is your brother, is he not, exterminator? He has been unwilling to answer my questions."

Kohaku had ceased his useless struggles, hanging like a limp doll from the demon lord's hand. His eyes were utterly blank and Sango felt her chest constrict with pain.

"Please don't hurt him," she whispered helplessly.

The youkai waited for a moment and looked over their angry faces. "You," he said, fixing Kagome with his cold, glittering eyes. "You can see jewel shards."

Kagome looked nervously back at Inuyasha before answering. "Yes, I can see them."

Sesshomaru nodded at her. "Come here."

Inuyasha hissed in anger. "Sesshomaru, if you want a fight you leave them out of this. I'm your only opponent here."

"Stupid whelp," his brother snapped. "I said I want nothing from you today. Human, come forward or I will slice this boy apart slowly so that you have time to enjoy his last moments."

Sango made an inarticulate sound and tried to fling herself at Sesshomaru, but Miroku still held her tightly. "You bastard, leave him alone!"

"Keep that exterminator back, monk," Sesshomaru said coldly, threats hidden in his voice. "It seems as if good sense has left her."

Miroku didn't answer him, but looked at Kagome instead. She nodded and stepped forward, ignoring Inuyasha's angry snarl. Kagome faced Sesshomaru resolutely. "What do you want?"

He turned the boy in his grasp. "This boy has a jewel shard in his back. Show me where."

"Why?"

His face was icy with contempt. "I do not explain myself to humans."

She hesitated and then stepped closer, her finger shaking as she indicated a point on Kohaku's back. "Here, an inch or two inside him. Sesshomaru, what do you mean to..."

Kagome gasped as the demon suddenly dropped the boy's body, his hand moving swift and deadly towards where she was pointing. His claws flashed as they stabbed into Kohaku's unresisting flesh and fresh blood splattered when his fingers tore a gaping wound in the boy's back. Kohaku slumped where he'd fallen and his eyes closed as life drained out of him. Sango stood horrified, watching as her little brother died again right in front of her.

"No!" she sobbed, fighting Miroku's hold again.

Sesshomaru opened his hand and looked at the bloody mess he'd pulled out of the boy's body. A small glimmering piece of jewel lay in his palm. It was incidental; he had no interest in the Shikon no Tama. For a daiyoukai, the jewel was worthless, as he had no need to call upon its cursed powers.

"Here," he said, gesturing to Kagome. "I have no need of such a pathetic trinket." The girl reached to take the shard from his palm, her fingers shaking. It flared brightly when she touched it, Naraku's evil instantly overcome by her purification.

"You bastard," Miroku said hoarsely. "You knew Kohaku would die if you took that shard out of him."

Inuyasha was staring at his brother, a strange expression on his face. He slipped the Tessaiga back into its sheath and folded his arms to wait. Sango's sobbing filled the air around them and Kagome hurried to embrace her friend. She glared at the hanyou.

"Aren't you going to do anything? He just murdered Kohaku!"

"I know," Inuyasha said, his eyes never leaving his brother. "I think I know what you're doing, Sesshomaru, but I don't get why."

"That's more perceptive of you than I've come to expect," Sesshomaru said dryly. He ignored the humans, staring down at the dead boy who lay crumpled on the ground before him. He slipped the Tenseiga from its sheath, his eyes narrowing as he looked for the messengers of the afterlife and the breach between the worlds that only his sword could sever.

The blade flashed down, energy flowed from its surface. The katana could only cut death, never deal it, never would it taste blood or flesh. Sesshomaru watched, fascinated as always by the way the blade seemed to blur and fade, becoming solid again as he completed his stroke. Energy pulsed from Kohaku's still form and suddenly the boy gasped.

Sango cried out, throwing off Miroku and Kagome's hands as she ran to her brother's side. Kohaku turned his face towards her. "Sister?" he asked, looking around him in confusion.

"Kohaku," she sobbed, throwing her arms around the boy. He looked at her dumbly. Her hands stroked his face tenderly. "You know me, don't you? You recognize my face."

"You're my sister," he answered.

She held him tightly, crushing him against her chest. "Yes," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm your sister. I'm never going to let you leave me again, Kohaku. Not ever."

His arms went around her back and Kohaku relaxed into Sango's embrace, the nightmares were finally over. His memory restored, Kohaku knew he'd done terrible things. He also knew he was free of Naraku, he wasn't sure how, but he'd never be forced to hurt his sister again. He could learn to deal with what he'd done as long as Sango was with him.

oOo

Sango lay awake long after the others had drifted off to sleep. She couldn't rest, didn't dare close her eyes. She was terrified that if she allowed herself to sleep, she'd wake in the morning and find it had all been just a dream. Kohaku.

Her fingers strayed out to touch her brother's sleeping face. Kohaku twitched, but he didn't wake. He was exhausted; the fatigue in his eyes was heartbreaking to see. Sango sighed, rolling onto her back to stare up at the sky.

_Why did he do it?_

She had her brother back. Just the thought made her heart leap inside her with joy and filled her body with thrills of happiness. Her brother. Sango had resigned herself to Kohaku's enslavement to Naraku, knowing the alternative was for her to end the boy's life. She didn't have the strength to go on living if she had to do that. Now he was free, free of the evil manipulation, free of a false life bought with a tainted Shikon jewel. She was resolved as ever to destroy Naraku, for her family, for Miroku, for everything the heartless monster had done.

Sesshomaru had disappeared without a word, leaving her and the others stunned by his actions. Inuyasha confessed he had no idea why his brother had gone to such trouble. Kohaku meant nothing to the demon lord, even as a servant of Naraku he was barely of interest to Sesshomaru. She honestly couldn't understand it.

Was it the little girl? Had she asked Sesshomaru to save Kohaku?

Sango tried to consider the possibility and couldn't see it. The child couldn't possibly have initiated such an action from her unusual guardian. Sango wanted to know where he'd found her, why he was so protective of the girl. She tried to find a more comfortable position, willing her body to rest even if her mind couldn't. It was no use.

The exterminator slipped quietly out of her bedding, trying not to awaken her friends. She found her footwear and carefully made her way to the edge of the forest, glancing back at the campsite as she moved away. Kirara gave her a questioning look and she stroked the cat-youkai's soft ears.

"Protect him," she instructed, looking at her brother's sleeping body. Kirara settled down to watch her withdraw into the darkness.

She understood that Naraku would be enraged at losing his slave. Most likely, they could expect an increase in attacks, as the foul monster would undoubtedly want to find Kohaku and punish him for escaping. Would he also try to punish Sesshomaru? She knew the evil demon coveted the youkai lord's power. It seemed like the only youkai that were strong enough to resist Naraku's influence were Inuyasha and his brother.

Still, it nagged at the exterminator. She needed to know why Sesshomaru had done this; there was no way she could rest until she understood. Maybe just to annoy Naraku? Maybe because she had saved Rin's life? Was it just the sheer perversity of a youkai mind, the nature of a creature who was deliberate and cruel one moment and then merciful the next? All with an otherworldly elegance and disdain that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and her blood race. Human reaction to the presence of daiyoukai, she should have been trained to resist it.

"I just need to know why," she said aloud, covering her face with her hands and trying physically to wipe away the confusion.

"Are you looking for me?" His voice startled her, its chill emotionless tone sent shivers down her spine. Sesshomaru had appeared before her, his imperious expression fixed firmly in place.

Sango gulped and remembered to breathe. "I'm, well, yes. I suppose I was looking for you."

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes glowing faintly in the near darkness. "Why?"

Sango tried to keep the nervousness out of her voice. "I wanted a chance to thank you. For Kohaku."

Sesshomaru looked away. "Unnecessary."

She stared at him. "No, it's necessary to me. I don't know how to tell you how much your kindness means..."

"Kindness?" he hissed, his voice like a lash. "Do not attribute such a pathetic emotion to me. You forget your place, human."

She felt her cheeks start to burn. "I didn't mean to offend you, Sesshomaru-sama." His face relaxed a tiny bit at her polite use of honorifics. The exterminator looked down at the ground, her hands clasped in front of her. "I don't understand why you've done this, but I am very grateful just the same."

Sesshomaru made a small, annoyed sound deep in his throat. "Your gratitude is meaningless to me." Could it be that she did not realize she had placed him in her debt with her rescue of Rin? Incomprehensible, he truly did not understand the way humans thought. If a youkai had taken such action on his behalf, they would expect a reward for such loyalty. Sesshomaru was used to having his approval courted by those who wanted his favor.

The girl looked quite depressed that he was refusing to accept her thankfulness. He couldn't understand why, it was beneath him to consider the human emotions involved. He had simply found a suitable way to fulfill his obligation. Her expression of gratitude was neither welcome nor needed.

Sango didn't know what to say. Her brother was alive and free; she thought her heart might burst from the knowledge. She had a visceral need to make the demon understand what he had done, how he had given her such a gift. A perfect youkai like Sesshomaru didn't feel kindness or compassion; he certainly didn't feel love for his brother, not as she felt for hers. Sango resolved herself, wondering again what her family would think if they were alive to see her now.

"All my life I've been trained to fight demons," she told him quietly. A tiny frown furrowed his unearthly, beautiful face. "I was brought up to kill, to defend humans against the cruelty of youkai. Now you've given me back the life of my brother and won't accept my gratitude for your actions."

The girl dropped to her knees and bowed before the youkai lord. "If you will not accept my gratitude, please accept my service. I am unworthy, but it is all I have to offer."

Sesshomaru stared at her. The very last thing he wanted was yet another human following him around. "Get up," he said harshly, reaching down to yank her to her feet. He stared into the girl's soft eyes to make her understand he was serious. "I do not need another servant. I especially do not want or need a human for anything."

She dropped her gaze. "I am ashamed I have nothing else," she said quietly. "My family is dead, all killed by Naraku except for my brother. Instead he was enslaved; you can't understand what you've done for me."

"I did not do it out of sympathy," he said quietly. "It was a debt to be repaid."

She knelt again, his hand sliding along the length of her arm. "I know that."

This was getting embarrassing. The exterminator looked up at him, her expression soft and yielding. The pleasant scent of her invaded his nose and Sesshomaru suddenly found himself very aware that she was female and wished he'd never spoken to her. First, he had a human child for a dependant and now he was feeling attraction for a human woman. His father would be rolling with laughter at his situation.

Sango's felt her pulse start to race, a sense of panic that wasn't entirely unpleasant. Something had shifted between them and she didn't know what to do. His hand still held hers in a tight grip. She swallowed hard and bent her head in a submissive fashion. It was unfamiliar territory and she felt her body trembling with his nearness. "I told you, I don't have anything else."

"Are you offering yourself to me, exterminator?"

He released his grip on her hand and lifted her chin, dropping to one knee so he could stare into her eyes. Sango felt her heart skip a beat at his unreadable expression. His voice was soft and cool. "I don't think you understand what you're doing."

Sango raised her hand to his and pressed his palm against her cheek. "I understand enough. Send me away and I'll go. Whatever you ask, I'll do."

He growled low in his chest, her submissiveness was intoxicating; he could tell from her scent that she meant what she said. His fingers curled around the back of her neck and he pulled her closer with a possessive grip.

Sesshomaru had never had even a passing interest in human females. Until this moment, he had always expressed contempt for his father's appetites, particularly the ones that had led him to taint the bloodline with the birth of his brother. As a daiyoukai and lord over his people, he was accustomed to having his pick of the most desirable youkai females.

It became an annoyance even, the persistency of his suitors. He held himself aloof from his lovers; only a few close cousins had ever breached the walls the youkai lord kept around himself. Sesshomaru learned early to never drop his guard and never allow himself to become vulnerable. It was the nature of youkai to exploit weakness when only dominance and self-preservation mattered.

The girl was intriguing though. He'd never taken a human before and had to confess a bit of curiosity. To have this one, a demon exterminator no less, offer herself so freely was a temptation he was unprepared to resist.

"Very well," he said finally, his eyes glowing fiercely. "But only because I choose this."

Sango smiled, she felt giddy somehow. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. I agree."

He wondered for a moment if she had manipulated him into this seduction. "I don't like humans."

"I hate demons," she answered, her hands wandering up to his face.

He smiled suddenly, fangs glinting in the near darkness. "As long as we now understand each other," he said and pulled her into his embrace.

Sango felt quite dizzy, in the back of her mind she heard her father's voice telling her that women who submitted to youkai males betrayed their own race, how youkai would use and cruelly discard their human mates. It was the callous nature of the creatures to mimic human emotions, make promises and demands.

_Father, please don't hate me_, she thought. The demon's eyes were molten gold. _I want him_.

Sesshomaru bent his head and brushed her lips with his own, aware of how the girl's heart was pounding. She gasped at the light kiss and eagerly pressed her body against his. Sesshomaru was amused at her intense reaction to such a light touch. Therefore, he was determined to tease her mercilessly.

He traced Sango's lips with his finger, watching her face intently. She met his gaze with a smile of her own and started to run her hands over his chest and neck, savoring the smooth taut skin under his clothing. Sesshomaru reached up to discard the armor and let the spiked metal fall away. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the human hands that were exploring him. His arm snaked around behind her head and buried itself in her hair as he bent his head to kiss her neck.

Sango felt herself go weak and draped herself against the youkai, willing him to continue tasting her skin. Delicious sensations coursed through her body and she buried her face in the softness of his long white hair. He smelled wonderful, nothing dirty or foul like so many youkai she had encountered, only a clean, masculine scent and the faintest hint of spice. His mouth came up to capture hers and Sango felt herself dissolve under the pressure of his tongue between her lips.

Sesshomaru was enjoying the taste of his human, her reactions were quite gratifying and he suddenly understood how his father could be attracted to such creatures. There was something honest and uncomplicated about her body's reaction to his. No court plots or deceptions would he find here, only the now, only the feel of her hips pressing urgently against him. Sesshomaru smiled into her throat, his tongue hovering over the racing of her pulse.

He pressed her back suddenly and looked into her eyes. His hand on her shoulder guided her and she looked up at him with a shy uncertainty.

_No, not that_, he thought, grinning a little foolishly at her assumption.

He pulled her close instead, slipping her clothing from her shoulders with a practiced ease. Sesshomaru dropped fiery kisses down her shoulder and Sango reached out for him, but he pulled back. She looked confused and he darted forward to nip at her breast. His rules, as always. He would show her how and when to please him, for now he just wanted to explore what she'd offered.

Sango let the youkai lord push her onto her back and closed her eyes as his hand and lips roamed possessively over her body. He sniffed at her, dipping his tongue to taste her skin, almost as if he was curious about what she was.

His light touch was excruciating. Sango's own inexperience was making it difficult for her to keep from writhing against him helplessly. Her fingers had a mind of their own and reached out to stroke bare shoulders, tracing the elegant lines of his lean muscles. A sharp claw traced gently over her belly and she twitched and felt her skin jerk under his touch.

Sesshomaru raised his face to regard her, a faint pleased smile on his lips. It suddenly occurred to him that he didn't even know her name, as he hadn't heard it from her own lips. He'd seen her a handful of times before and he recollected that she had tried on more than one occasion to interfere in his battles against his brother.

"What is your name, human?" he asked as his hand slid across her belly.

"S...Sango," she said. His hand had moved lower and she was finding it difficult to concentrate. The slow rhythm of his touch was driving all sense from her mind. Gently, he increased the pressure and a soft cry of pleasure rewarded him.

"Sango…a pretty name. Are you sure that you want this? I won't have you telling anyone that you were forced."

She raised her head and his fingers dipped inside her. "I...aaahhh!" she said, suddenly grinding her hips against him and he laughed. This was entirely too much fun.

"Please," she whispered thickly. "Just don't stop what you're doing."

Sesshomaru nuzzled her soft breast with his mouth, his tongue flicking over the taut nipple with a careless abandon. 'I want you too much to stop now. Remember this is what you wanted."

Sango raised herself up on her elbows, her face beaded with perspiration. Her breathing was becoming heavier and her legs were shaking. Just as the pressure built to a deliciously insane level, he pulled his hand away and she trembled.

"You said you wouldn't stop!"

"Did I?" His face darted suddenly lower, his open mouth took her by surprise, and Sango cried out, her hands clawing at his back as the intense pleasure engulfed her body. His hot tongue pursued her mercilessly and the girl thrashed against him, cursing and begging as she rode out the fierce sensations of her climax.

Finally, she quieted, exhausted and helpless. Moreover, Sesshomaru was just getting started. "Is that all you have to give me?" he asked pleasantly, toying with a lock of her hair.

She shook her head, mute and breathless. "Good," he said and moved over her, easily lifting her leg over his shoulder. Sango gasped and tried to relax as he ever so slowly entered her. It was sheer torture, her body wanted to bear down and take him inside, but he wouldn't let her move. Bit by bit, he pressed himself deeply into her, her slick warmth a welcoming sensation around him. She cried out as he stretched her, ready for him, but still not in spite of his slow approach.

"Quiet," he said, pressing a fingertip against her lips. "You don't have to be afraid of me, not at moment."

Sango arched her back and let the demon have her, her eyes closing in sheer pleasured bliss as he began to rock her hips in a slowly building motion. His hand braced her against him, digging his claws into her upraised thigh as he tensed and moved faster, urgent response upon him now.

She looked up and found herself captivated by the expression on his face, no longer cold and condescending. Teeth bared in a snarl, his fangs glinted dangerously and she caught her breath as his eyes shimmered from gold to red with his intense enjoyment of her body.

He wouldn't allow passion to overwhelm him. Sesshomaru knew that humans were fragile and he had no wish to tear her apart or leave her scarred. Self-control was his forte in any case and he deliberately held himself back, exerting his will over the instincts that demanded he relinquish all thought as he thrust himself into the unresisting body of his human woman.

She gasped and cried out, her body contracting around his as she tried to match his pace. She screamed his name once, then again even louder as he collapsed on top of her, her fingers raking angry furrows down his pale skin and he shuddered and released into her soft depths.


	2. Two

_**Chapter Two**_

Sango awoke slowly, the forest was still dark around her, but the sky had turned several shades lighter. She was warm, comfortable with soft fur wrapped around her naked body and an arm tight around her waist. With a startled gasp, she sat up, memory flushing over her and looked around desperately.

A hand stroked her back. "Do you always wake so abruptly?" his lazy voice asked, amused. She twisted to look down at Sesshomaru, a faint smile on his lips.

Her eyes were wide as she reached out to touch his face. "I wasn't sure where I was for a moment. I thought you'd left me."

He shrugged, easy with an unfamiliar pleasure. "Even youkai need a chance to rest."

"Exactly how long do you need to rest?"

He laughed softly at that. "Not long, but we have no time for play. You need to return to your brother."

"Kohaku," Sango whispered. It was impossible that she'd forgotten, even for a brief time. She intensely needed to see him, to hold his hands in hers and believe he was back.

Sesshomaru felt a strange wistfulness invade his mind as he watched the girl's expressions flicker across her face. "Your brother is waiting for you. There is a hot spring not far from here and I'd suggest you bathe before returning."

She looked at him curiously and he sighed. "My brother may be a complete fool, but my scent is all over you now."

Sango blushed furiously. "You don't want him to know?"

He shook his head. "Don't misunderstand me. Inuyasha might accept what we've done; he is still at least half a youkai. Your human friends..." His voice trailed off. She knew Kagome too well to believe that she'd turn against her for sharing pleasure with Sesshomaru. Inuyasha would be contemptuous and think it was an evil plot. But Miroku...

Sesshomaru was right, she wasn't part of his world and he wasn't part of hers. For a few hours she'd surrendered to her desires, but the exterminator inside her knew better.

Sesshomaru looked away, his manner almost diffident as he shifted back into the unreachable youkai lord. "Go. We will remain in each other's debt for some time."

She smiled shyly. "I like that last night will belong to us alone. I won't forget it."

His hand moved of its own accord to stroke her cheek lightly. "I know."

Sango shivered, she'd never expected him to be able draw such response from her. It was inhuman what his delicate touch was doing to her body.

"Go," Sesshomaru ordered, seeing how the girl could so easily melt from the soft brush of his fingers. He would have to push her away soon and found himself reluctant to spoil the moment.

_Why am I acting like a lovesick pup_, he thought suddenly. _Unacceptable_. He pushed the girl away from him, ignoring her surprised expression.

"You must leave now." The youkai lord stood up and turned his back on Sango, pulling his clothing on with an unhurried disdain. She looked up at him, a tiny frown of her injured feelings evident.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He didn't look at her. "No, I'm done with you for now. Go back to your brother and your friends, exterminator."

He left her sitting there, shame written on her skin and Sango buried her face in her hands and wondered just what she'd done to herself. She shouldn't have been surprised by his callous dismissal. He was a youkai and she was a mere human. Her gratitude for Kohaku's freedom meant nothing to him, just a reason to use her body for his own pleasure. She was certain that it wouldn't happen again and as she grimly dressed herself and shook back her hair, she swore it would be so.

It would not happen again.

oOo

Sango walked slowly back to camp, her hair hanging in a wet mass down her back. She was still trying to reconcile what had happened. Now that Sesshomaru wasn't with her, she couldn't believe it had happened to her. "What kind of a fool did I make of myself?" she murmured, her cheeks going hot again.

She'd spent the last half hour soaking in what turned out to be a very hot spring. Her body was pink from the heat of the water as well as her efforts to erase all evidence of last night's activities. She couldn't erase the way her body felt though, the youkai lord had left her deliciously sore in certain areas and Sango was grateful that her clothing would cover any suspicious bruising.

"Damn it," Sango cursed herself. "What were you thinking? Offering yourself to a youkai, letting him do whatever he wanted. Father would be so ashamed of you." She stopped as the flush warm memories surfaced again, his cool touch sliding over her hot flesh, his mouth taking control over hers, driving all good sense right out of her brain.

"I'm a youkai exterminator," she said sternly, shaking her finger at an inoffensive tree. "I should be able to control myself. Didn't Father teach me how to avoid traps like this? I'm not supposed to be vulnerable to demon tricks and spells."

Sango stopped herself right there. He hadn't needed to use any spells or tricks. She'd done all the offering, let down her guard deliberately, and practically begged him to take her right then and there. How could she hold Sesshomaru responsible for her actions when he was the one who'd restored her brother's life?

She owed him whatever he wanted for Kohaku's sake. Her service, her loyalty, her body, whatever he wanted to take from her, she'd given it freely. It looked like all the youkai had wanted from her was last night, his dismissal still burned painfully in her mind. Sango sighed heavily. She knew very well what Sesshomaru thought about humans. A demon lord might amuse himself with a human woman such as herself, it sure as hell didn't mean he wouldn't snap her neck the next time she crossed his path.

Her teeth ground together in frustration. It was so unfair that he'd made her want him that badly!

She stepped into the clearing, quite consumed with her own thoughts. "Sister!" a young voice shouted.

"Kohaku!" Sango ran to him, sweeping her little brother into a hug. The boy's eyes were much brighter and now there was a wide smile planted on his thin face. She tightened her hold on him, his arms squeezing around her middle just as hard.

"Sis, I can't breathe!"

She let him go reluctantly. "I'm sorry; I just can't believe that you're really here. It's like all my dreams came true."

Kohaku rested his head against her chest. "Mine too. Sango, I can't tell you how sorry I am for everything you went through because of me. All those people..."

She put her fingers over his lips. "No, don't. Don't apologize, Kohaku. It wasn't you. I always knew it wasn't you."

Her brother looked up at her soberly. "But it was me. It was my body, my hands that did the killing. I can't just forget about it. Even if Naraku made me..."

"Don't even say his name," Sango said, her eyes blazing. Kohaku looked at her, a little frightened. "He'll never touch you again, Kohaku. I'll kill him myself, I don't care what happens to me, I will keep you safe, I swear!"

She was aware that they were being watched. Sango looked up to see Kagome's face, tears standing in her friend's eyes even as a smile parted her lips. Miroku's eyes were dry, but there was a firm set to his mouth that told the exterminator that he seconded every word she'd just said. Her little brother was not without friends any more than she herself was.

Kagome cleared her throat. "There's breakfast," she offered. "Aren't you hungry, Sango?"

She was indeed extremely hungry. Her nose told her that Kagome had made rice porridge. The mix that came from her era was so much tastier than the plain rice that she'd grown up eating. Her stomach rumbled. "Thank you, Kagome, I am starving."

"You're lucky there's any left, Kohaku-kun has already had four bowls," the girl said, grinning as she went to ladle up some breakfast for her friend.

"Four?" Sango asked, looking at her brother.

Kohaku smiled shyly. "I'd like some more, but I wanted to wait until you came back. Where did you go so early, sister?"

Sango snapped her mouth shut and hoped that her face didn't show her blush in the rosy morning sunlight. "Oh, I found a hot spring," she said as nonchalantly as she could manage. "I had to get that stink of miasma off me."

Kagome chuckled lightly. "You should have woke me up too; I'm dying for a hot bath." She put the bowl in Sango's hands and the exterminator was grateful for a chance to sit and eat. Kirara yawned from Sango's abandoned bedroll. The twin-tailed kitten stretched with luxurious feline abandon before padding over to nudge her preferred person for a little snack. Sango put her hand down to stroke the cat's head.

Kirara drew back suddenly and hissed. Sango stared at her little friend, surprised. "Kirara, what's the matter?" The cat demon glared at her and abruptly transformed, her eyes glowing with anger. Sango swallowed hard and sat perfectly still. The cat-demon sniffed her hair and rumbled with disapproval. Sango felt the blood drain out of her face when Kirara suddenly turned away and shot into the forest, an angry yowl splitting the air.

Miroku frowned as he watched the cat disappear. "What got into her this morning?" He turned and looked thoughtfully at the exterminator. "She seemed to be offended by something."

Sango bent her head and concentrated on her breakfast so she wouldn't have to look the monk in the eye. "I have no idea."

_She smelled him_, the girl thought, swallowing her porridge with a throat gone dry. She hadn't considered what Kirara's reaction might be if she got a whiff of the youkai who'd bedded her mistress last night. It wasn't like she could explain to the cat what had happened and dearly hoped Kirara wouldn't take long to get over it.

At that moment, her attention was distracted by blur of red and white that dropped unceremoniously into their midst. Inuyasha was swinging a pair of freshly killed and skinned rabbits from his hand.

Kagome laughed. "Are you saying my breakfast wasn't up to your expectations? I wondered where you'd gone off to."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Rice porridge was all very nice for human stomachs and better than nothing when it was all they had. "I wanted meat," he said, smirking a little. "That crap is good for pups and old people, but I like a breakfast I can sink my teeth into."

Miroku chuckled. "Kagome, I suppose we should just be grateful he brought them back to cook them instead of just eating them raw."

Inuyasha grinned wickedly at the monk. "What makes you think I only caught two?"

"Spare us the details, Inuyasha," the girl said primly.

The hanyou sat down and started to arrange his kill neatly over the fire, sharpening a pair of spits with his claws. Sango watched him work, suddenly fascinated by the way his hands moved. The razor sharp claws were efficient tools and Sango felt her breath catch in her throat when she thought about how such claws, deadly weapons, could trace the inside of her thigh with a feathery delicacy. Her face suddenly burned.

Inuyasha's head shot up and he looked around. His nose had unexpectedly filled with a strange, alluring scent. That of an extremely excited female. He glanced back at Kagome, sniffing the air delicately. Nope, not her. His eyes flicked back to Sango, but the girl wasn't looking in his direction, instead she was watching her brother finish off her breakfast.

Must have imagined it, he decided, finishing his makeshift grill.

The sweet smell of roasting meat soon filled the glade and Inuyasha was generous with sharing his catch. Kohaku and Shippou sat next to hanyou, quite content to mooch the tasty meat even if the Buddhist monk and the exterminator weren't interested.

Inuyasha gave Kohaku an appraising look. "For your size you eat more than any human I've seen. What's up, kid? Didn't that piece of shit Naraku let you eat?"

Kohaku surprised the group with a small, impish smile. "Nah, it wasn't like that. He didn't care one way or the other, but I had to be creative and take care of myself when I could. I knew I couldn't die of starvation, but it could be uncomfortable."

Sango stared at her brother; she couldn't believe how easily he was talking about the monster that had kept him enslaved. Curiosity warred with her desire to pretend Naraku hadn't happened to her little brother. "What did you do then?"

Kohaku glanced around at them sheepishly. "I stole stuff from humans when I could. I didn't dare ask anyone for food. Naraku didn't want me talking to anyone and I didn't want to get anyone killed because I disobeyed."

Inuyasha spat at the fire. "Bastard."

Kagome reached over to tousle the boy's hair. He reminded her so much of her brother Souta now. "Kohaku-kun, no one is judging you. You did what you had to do, we understand that."

He grinned at her. "And I also hunted for myself when I could. Sometimes I'd leave rabbits for the farmers I stole from." He looked over at his sister. "I thought Father would approve of that."

Sango felt tears stinging her eyes. "I'm sure he would, brother." Whether or not her father would approve of her was a different story and not one she preferred to dwell on.

She smiled at her friends, her heart finally lightening. "I'm going to get us some more firewood," she announced cheerfully.

They had decided to stay at the camp rather than moving on. Kohaku needed to rest, dying and getting resurrected took their toll on his young body and he was still weak even if his appetite seemed quite strong.

Miroku looked at the boy thoughtfully. "I still don't understand it. Inuyasha, do you have any idea what Sesshomaru was thinking?"

The sound of the demon lord's name sent a thrill down Sango's spine and she had to hold herself back from jumping. Deliberately, she moved away from the monk, not wanting to draw anyone's eyes to her. She quietly picked up a few pieces of loose wood and held them in her hands. She was curious about what Inuyasha would say.

"Beats the shit outta me, I gave up trying to figure out that prick a long time ago," the hanyou said carelessly.

Sango's fingers tightened on the piece of wood she was holding, biting her tongue. Inuyasha was unaware of the storm his words were causing in the girl's heart.

"Count on Sesshomaru to do everything for his own reasons though. I seriously doubt if he was trying to be nice."

"Sango, are you okay?" Kagome had noticed the stiffness of her stance and Sango cursed herself for not being more in control of her reactions.

"I'm fine," she muttered, not meeting her friend's eyes. "I'm just really tired."

The monk looked concerned too. "Maybe you should sit down, Sango. The firewood can wait."

She shook her head. "No, I'll go. I need a little air; maybe I inhaled a bit more of that miasma yesterday than I thought." She slipped away from them and disappeared into the woods.

Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "You are so insensitive sometimes."

"Huh?" He looked surprised and scratched his head, quite befuddled. "What did I do?"

Miroku cleared his throat. "I think what Kagome means is that you might have offended Sango with your words. Even if Sesshomaru's actions aren't comprehensible, they are still the reason that we have Kohaku alive and with us now."

"Ah shit," he muttered crossly. "I didn't mean it like that." He looked at the boy. "I'm glad he did it, I just don't get why."

Kohaku smiled shyly. "Me neither. He didn't tell me a thing, but I'm glad also."

Kagome folded her arms and looked at Inuyasha meaningfully. "You should apologize to Sango; tell her that you were just putting your feet in that big mouth of yours."

He gave her a dirty look. "Sango knows what I meant."

The girl tossed her head with a decidedly cold expression. "I'm not so sure. You should still tell her you're sorry."

"All right, all right," he said, knowing when he was beat. "I'll go find her and apologize for whatever I said to piss her off. Damn you people anyway."

Inuyasha trotted off into the forest, sniffing the air to follow Sango's scent. The exterminator couldn't have gone far. He really didn't understand why Kagome was always jumping his ass over what he said, she knew what he meant and so should Sango. Still, he wasn't likely to have moment's peace unless he was able to go back and report that all had been forgiven.

He snorted. Humans, they were just impossible to figure out.

He spied Sango sitting on the ground, her face in her hands. _Shit_, he thought uncomfortably, _she's not crying over what I said, is she?_ Quietly so he wouldn't startle her, he came up behind her. "Sango, are you..."

The smell hit him quite suddenly and Inuyasha found himself very aware of where Sango had been last night and exactly whom she'd been with. With a rough growl, he grabbed the woman by her hair and hauled her to her feet. Sango gasped, but didn't cry out; her hands automatically went to grab at his arms to spare the pain in her scalp.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you, bitch?" he snapped. He shifted his grip so he could seize her shoulders and shake her hard. "Is that why that son of a bitch rescued Kohaku? How long have you been fucking him?"

"It wasn't like that!" Sango yelled, desperately trying to squirm out of the hanyou's cruel hold.

"Don't lie to me!" he snarled. "I can smell him all over you. Have you been working for him the whole time you've been with Kagome and me? Is that why he always seems to know right where to find us? You better start telling me the truth!"

Sango stared at him. "I am telling the truth, I'm not working for anyone! Please, Inuyasha, I haven't betrayed you!"

His claws dug into her arms and she cried out, unable to get away from him. Inuyasha pulled her closer and sniffed hard at her face. "Not lying," he muttered, her scent was scared shitless, but he wasn't picking up any deception from her. He sniffed at her again, now that he was looking for it, he could smell Sesshomaru all over her body. The scent made him angry and he seriously considered dropping the bitch where she stood. Then he remembered that this was Sango, this was the same person who had fought at his side, risked her life for him and Kagome on numerous occasions.

Inuyasha shoved her roughly to the ground and knelt beside her. "So start talking, what happened? As surprised as I am that the pompous bastard would rut with a human, I'm twice as surprised that the human was you."

In a few short sentences, she related what had happened between her and the youkai lord. Inuyasha scowled briefly, and then shook his head. "So that's why, I shoulda guessed it."

"What do you mean?"

He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, you hauled that kid out of the miasma so he thought he owed you. Sesshomaru isn't the kind of demon who'd rest easy knowing he was in a human's debt. Youkai honor and all that crap."

Inuyasha grinned wickedly. "So how was it, Sango?"

She stared at him. "I can't believe you just asked me that."

His eyes gleamed with mischief. "Ah, come on, it couldn't have been that bad that you don't wanna tell me."

Sango gave him a glare that would have dropped a lesser demon in his tracks. "It's none of your business!"

Inuyasha smirked, his body shaking with silent laughter. "Knock it off," she ordered tersely, her face flushing with embarrassment. She caught a look from the hanyou and barely had time to scramble backwards when he jumped at her. She couldn't move fast enough and he had her pinned to the ground, laying on top of her and holding her wrists.

"By the way you're blushing I'd say you had a pretty good time."

"Leave me alone," she snapped, squirming underneath him. It was useless; she was trapped by the greater weight of his body and couldn't get any leverage to throw him off.

He leaned in close so that his breath tickled in the ear. "What's the matter? I thought you liked demons now. Hey, isn't it against the rules for exterminators to bed down with youkai? I thought you were trained to kill them, not roll around on the ground with them like this."

She caught her breath. "Stop it," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

Inuyasha felt a twinge of guilt that he was playing with her so cruelly. Slowly, he pushed himself off the girl, still kneeling with his legs on either side of hers. Sango's jaw was set in an angry, hurt line and he sighed.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't tease you about it. It's your business, Sango, but if you'll take my advice, don't trust him. Screw him if that's what you want to do, but don't forget that Sesshomaru is a bastard straight from hell and he won't hesitate to use you or hurt you if that's what he wants."

She looked at him. "Are you going to tell Kagome and Miroku what happened?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nope. Like you said, not my business. I can keep my mouth shut, but I'm going to want something from you in return."

He saw her startled expression and grinned. "Don't get so worked up. I'm not going to molest you. I just want you to go back to Kagome and tell her that nothing I said hurt your feelings and she's totally out of line for thinking that in the first place. Yeah, and tell her to apologize to me for a change, I'm sick of getting nagged all the time."

Smiling back, Sango nodded in agreement. "You've got a deal."

oOo

Returning home, Sesshomaru thought, always gave him mixed feelings. The sight of the ancient stone fortress where he'd been raised instinctively comforted him, but the thought of the unrelenting pressures and demands contained within gave him the youkai equivalent of indigestion. Still, it was home and he sent his two-headed dragon to the main courtyard knowing that the sentries had duly noted his arrival and his staff was already preparing to receive him.

"Welcome back, Sesshomaru-sama," the stable attendants said, bowing very respectfully to their lord. Sesshomaru ignored them; he always did, knowing that they would have taken any other response as a surprise.

He tolerated absolutely no familiarity from his people; any such hint of disrespect would be answered with extreme measures. Only two residents of the vast fortress would be exempt from his displeasure. One of them was currently flying down the stone steps at a truly alarming rate of speed. He braced himself.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Rin is so happy you are home!" The child skidded to a halt just before she would have crashed into his knees. It had taken some time, but Rin had finally managed the grasp the fact that he didn't want her to fling herself on him every chance she got. Her small face beamed at him, possibly the one living creature whose happiness truly depended on the daily sight of his face.

He would never show it, but a tiny portion of his carefully guarded heart belonged only to her. "Rin. You have been behaving yourself, I hope."

She shook her head, her eyes dancing with delight. "Rin has been very naughty. Jaken says that Rin is the reason that Sesshomaru-sama had to leave again so soon." The child frowned and looked at the ground. "Jaken is wrong, isn't he, Sesshomaru-sama?"

The youkai reflected on that. "Jaken is not wrong, but it is by no fault of yours that I left."

He continued on his way up the stairs and towards his personal apartments. A bath was in order, he decided. The woman's delicious fragrance still clung to his body and he knew he'd find it difficult to concentrate on wholly youkai matters if he didn't do something about the scent.

Rin clambered up the steps, following him. Her knees were scuffed with dirt and there were spiderwebs in her hair. His nose twitched. Rin had been escaping from her caretakers again. He could well imagine the kind of anxiety the human child inflicted on her well-meaning youkai guardians. Not the least of the anxiety was the fact that if the child came to harm during her adventures, they knew they would be held accountable.

It wasn't really fair of him to insist that Rin have no contact with any of the youkai children who resided in his fortress, but it couldn't be helped. He'd not have his charge damaged by the carelessness of demon younglings who couldn't understand how fragile human skin could be.

Human skin, the taste of her was still making his mouth water. It was becoming an annoyance. Rin looked up at him, unable to guess the nature of his thoughts.

"Sesshomaru-sama, did you find Kohaku-kun?"

The child was sharp. Just the fewest vague hints and she had determined what he'd been planning. He knew she couldn't understand that a monster had controlled Kohaku, but she'd always sensed the overwhelming sadness that followed the boy.

Sesshomaru glanced down at his young charge. "I did."

Her face brightened and she skipped happily around him as he walked slowly down the corridor. "And Sesshomaru-sama rescued Kohaku? Just like he rescued Rin?" He confirmed her questions with a nod.

Rin reached up, greatly daring to take her guardian's hand in her own. "Was the pretty lady happy to see her brother? Rin thinks she would be, Rin still misses her brothers." The child looked thoughtfully at the demon. "Did the pretty lady thank Sesshomaru-sama for his help?"

He smiled. "She most certainly did."

oOo

"Get out of the way!"

"You get out of my way, I've got it so back off!"

The monster roared, showing black and green fangs. Sango hurled Hiraikotsu with her usual precision, slicing up the back of the multi-armed demon. Rank blood splattered the ground and she danced nimbly out of the way.

She turned to look back at Kagome and shouted. "Miroku! Behind you!"

The monk leapt to the side just in time to avoid the creature that had sprung at him. His staff flashed and a burst of energy drove the monster back as Kagome drew her arrow and fired. Her shaft struck true and the fanged abomination shrieked wrathfully as its body was shattered into a thousand shining pieces by the purification.

Sango turned back to the wounded oni that still remained in time to see Inuyasha tear its head off with his claws. The hanyou tossed the head casually to the side and shook blood off his fingers.

"That all? There were just three of them this time?"

"Just three?" Kagome asked, wiping her forehead. "Three was enough for me. None of them had shards anyway."

He scowled. "So we just hunted them down for the hell of it, is that what you're telling me?"

"Yes. You heard those villagers; they were terrified of going into the forest. We can't just let monsters like those run around freely, people could get hurt."

"Shit, I thought they had shards. You let me think that on purpose, didn't you?" Inuyasha was annoyed, not that he wouldn't have pursued the monsters anyway, but they didn't have to trick him into it.

Miroku grinned at Inuyasha's irritation. "It's not as if we didn't get compensated. The village headman was very grateful, and generous, when I told him we would put an end to the problem for them."

Sango gave the monk an arch look. "You talked him into paying you? When were you going to let the rest of us in on that? I wondered where you disappeared to that night."

The monk's expression was blissful. "Like I said, the headman was very grateful. As were his lovely daughters."

Kagome blushed and Sango stared hard at Miroku's pleased expression. "Perverted lech, how do you have the nerve to call yourself a monk?"

He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling. "I can call myself quite a few things, but I could hardly insult the young ladies by refusing their hospitality."

The exterminator snorted in disgust, but her attention was distracted. "Kohaku, Shippou," she called out. "It's all clear, are you two all right?"

Her brother slid out of a tree, the kitsune clinging to his shoulder. "Yes, we saw the whole thing. You were amazing, sister. I guess you didn't need any help from me."

She tousled his hair affectionately. Just the sight of him still made her want to leap up in joy. "You're still getting stronger; don't worry about fighting anything for awhile. I will protect you and so will the others."

Kohaku grinned, ducking away from her hand with a normal boy's blush at his older sister's attention. "I'd feel better if I were doing something useful."

Inuyasha yawned loudly. "At least you take a turn at cooking dinner, kid. That's more than Shippou has ever done."

The kitsune glared at him. "That's not true; I help out in lots of other ways."

Inuyasha laughed sharply and picked up Shippou by his tail. "Oh yeah? Name 'em. I must have missed something."

Shippou struggled to free himself. "Let me go, stupid dog. I'm not a toy, you know."

Inuyasha grinned evilly. "I know, we could use you for bait next time we're tracking demons. I hear kitsune meat doesn't taste half bad."

Shippou sank his teeth into the hanyou's wrist. "Hey! Let go, you little shit," he cried, shaking his arm to dislodge the angry kitsune.

"Tastes…better than…hanyou," Shippou snarled, unwilling to let go of his piece of flesh.

Inuyasha smacked the fox into a tree, knocking him silly. "Shut up, runt."

Shippou wailed and ran to Kagome for protection from Inuyasha's temper. "Save me!"

"Sit." The hanyou slammed into the ground. Kagome stroked the fox's hair. "Inuyasha, that was just mean. You really need to watch your temper."

"I'm not the only one," he muttered into the grass.

oOo

Sesshomaru stared into the fire, willing himself to relax enough so that he could sleep. Rin was curled up in a ball on a small futon, her tiny snores rustling gently. Every once in a while she would giggle slightly and sigh in her sleep. Absently, he wondered what a human child being raised among demons would dream about.

She was probably dreaming up new torments for Jaken, he decided. There was little that amused the child as much as harassing his retainer. Sesshomaru smiled privately to himself. The entertainment he derived from watching her pester and provoke the imp was reason enough for him to have restored her life.

A quiet step drew his attention and he glanced over his shoulder. "Jano. I was starting to wonder at your lateness. Have you anything new to report?"

The bodyguard slipped easily from the shadows, the black leather of his clothing blending seamlessly with the darkness. "No, my lord. As you requested, I went to see about the matter in the south. I can report that we will no longer be troubled by Ashira-sama or his dealings with human army that's been raiding along the southern border."

"My compliments, Jano." Sesshomaru wasn't interested in discussing the details of the lord's recent demise. The clanlord's heir had been the one to report his own father's excesses and he was certain that within days he'd receive a flowery declaration of loyalty once the dust had settled. Jano reached over the edge of the chair to ruffle Rin's hair affectionately and the child stirred in her sleep.

Sesshomaru watched impassively. Jano was one of the most feared youkai that served him, but Sesshomaru knew he had a soft spot when it came to children. Even human ones, it seemed. His young charge had quite charmed Jano from the moment he'd brought her into the household.

"Have you given any thought to Namichi's replacement?" Jano asked quietly.

Sesshomaru frowned slightly. Namichi had been his personal bodyguard and Jano's partner until the willful woman had met a grisly end. He wondered why Jano was making conversation about the matter. "No. Have you any recommendations?"

The bodyguard shook his head, leaning his elbows on the back of the chair and continuing to brush his fingers through Rin's hair. Jano looked up at him again, a faint smile on face. "I've been approached by half the household guard about the position. Seems they think I somehow influence your decision, Sessh."

"Don't you?" Sesshomaru leaned his head on his fist and looked at Jano. In private, he took no offense to the casual nickname. Jano's father had been his father's bodyguard and they had grown up together, were even related by blood through Jano's father's line.

Namichi's replacement was a sticky issue, Sesshomaru wasn't about to entrust just anyone with the order. Jano was nothing less than his personal representative and answered exclusively to him. Politics and court machinations aside, no one expected a decision from him soon about such a delicate and important matter.

Jano didn't answer his question, instead looking back down at the sleeping girl. "You want me to take her back to her room?"

Sesshomaru waved his hand and the bodyguard tenderly lifted the child to his shoulder. He stared into the fire after they left, quite alone with his considerations. He closed his eyes and breathed a deep sigh. Again, the human woman's face swam before his eyes and distracted him. He scowled, a frightening expression that made him strongly resemble his half-brother.

It was unthinkable that he should find himself dwelling on it again, but there it was. Damn her anyway, he wished he'd never bothered to involve himself. He should have just killed the brat anyway instead of using Tenseiga to spare his life. What did a measly human life matter to him, he was not his brother. He certainly didn't care for the creatures, even if he had chosen to make Rin a part of his household. That was his choice and no one would dare say otherwise.

Sesshomaru snorted, disgusted with himself and the weakness he'd admitted to in bedding a human, even out of curiosity. Anger filled him suddenly, anger and a longing for blood that would satisfy his youkai nature. There was no other answer to his dilemma.

He would kill her.


	3. Three

_**Chapter Three**_

A stab of pain in her abdomen awakened Sango. She gasped and tried to sit up to defend herself, but was struck back by a hard blow to her face and the touch of cold steel grazing her exposed throat.

"I'm sorry it had to be like this."

_Kohaku? _

Her little brother crouched over her, his face expressionless, but his eyes burned with a terrible hatred. She suppressed a cry of pain as the sickle blade bit into the skin of her neck.

"I'm going to cut your head off, sister," the boy hissed.

"Why are you doing this?" Sango whispered, a tear slipping down her face. Her heart was tearing apart inside her, a horrifying wail of grief wanted to rip from her lips but she held herself calm with all her will. "Kohaku, the jewel shard is gone. Naraku can't control you anymore."

"Is that so?"

At the edge of her vision, a white baboon drifted into view. Naraku laughed unpleasantly. "Did you really think the jewel shard was my only hold over Kohaku? He has served me most willingly for some time now."

"No," she whispered. "I won't believe it."

Naraku chuckled. "Such loyalty, such devotion. What a waste. Look around you, Sango. See what your love of Kohaku has brought upon you."

Sango turned her head and gasped. Only inches from her, Kagome's bloody face stared at her from sightless eyes. The girl's throat had been torn apart, her bright blood staining the front of her clothing with crimson. A few yards from them, she could see Miroku's motionless body lying face down in the dirt, a dark pool spreading out from under his shredded robes. As for Inuyasha, she couldn't see his body, at least not all of it. Clumps of silver hair and mutilated flesh dotted their campsite along with shreds of red clothing.

"You did this," she whispered, unable to look away from Naraku's gloating smile.

The demon came closer until he could rest his hand on top of her brother's head. "No, Sango, I'm afraid this is all your doing. You so trustingly welcomed Kohaku back, never questioning his loyalty. Even that stupid hanyou had doubts, but not you."

"That fool Sesshomaru couldn't have known what he was setting loose. I allowed Kohaku to be taken from me, hoping for this opportunity. I just never believed you'd make it so easy. Kohaku asked that you be killed last, Sango. He wanted to say goodbye to his beloved sister. Maybe if you hadn't abandoned him to me, I never would have turned him against you after having the pleasure of raping his mind and spirit so thoroughly."

"You monster, you heartless, sick bastard," she ground out, no longer concerned with the sharp steel pinning her neck. Kohaku's eyes were alive with joy as he pressed the blade slowly deeper into her flesh. "I never abandoned Kohaku. I love him, he's my brother!"

Naraku laughed, a harsh sneering sound. "He's not your brother anymore. I'm the only family Kohaku needs. He's already beginning to call me father, isn't that sweet, dear Sango?"

The white baboon pelt began to shimmer in front of her, its outline changing, shifting into something more hauntingly familiar. Sango's heart twisted inside her as she looked into her dead father's eyes.

_I'm so disappointed in you, daughter. You couldn't kill Naraku. You couldn't save your brother from or avenge my death. And you spread your legs for a filthy youkai prince who would betray you without a second thought. You shame us all with your weakness_.

"Father, no," she sobbed, reaching desperately for him. "Please forgive me, please don't leave me again!" Kohaku laughed suddenly, madness clear in his voice. He raised his blade and shifted his grip, bringing the point of the sickle blade down to bury it like a hammer blow in her head.

Sango sat up, the scream that wanted to tear out of her throat frozen behind her lips. She choked, fighting back the hot bile that threatened to flood her mouth. Her heart was pounding frantically in her chest and she wanted to be sick on the ground. The dream was so real, by far the worst she'd ever had.

"Sango?" Kagome's voice called sleepily to her. The girl raised herself on her elbow, rubbing her eyes. "Are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?"

"I'm okay, Kagome," she managed to say. She didn't want to alarm her friend. Sango glanced around the quiet campsite, hoping she hadn't awakened anyone else who would press her for details about her nightmare.

Her eyes instinctively went to Kohaku's sleeping face. Her little brother lay on his side, one hand outstretched as if he'd been reaching to her from the other side of her dream. His face was still pale despite their outdoor lifestyle and his freckles stood out in stark contrast. His peaceful expression was almost more than she could stand.

Sango pulled her legs from the twisted knot of blankets. Even unconscious she'd continued fighting against Naraku's evil. Kagome yawned, snuggling Shippou tighter as she watched her friend stand up.

"Where are you going?"

The exterminator tried to smile reassuringly and knew she'd failed miserably. She was grateful the fire had burned so low that Kagome couldn't read her stricken expression. "I'm just going to relieve myself," she said, keeping her voice light. "You go back to sleep, I know how tired you are."

They were all tired. She could hear Miroku's soft snores from the other side of the campfire and even Inuyasha had succumbed to the need for rest. The hanyou sat up against a tree, his chin nodded to his chest and his hair falling softly over his face.

Quietly, she slipped off into the forest, but it wasn't the call of nature she meant to answer. Sango's body started to shake uncontrollably, the grief and anguish of her dream still raw inside her. Her breath was now coming out in labored sobs and she prayed that Kagome wouldn't follow her. She was far too tired inside to pretend to be strong. She couldn't keep up the façade another moment.

Sango was sick of being brave and tough, of keeping a cheery illusion in place. She was tired of being a demon exterminator who had a dead village's pride resting on her shoulders. She wanted to forget about Naraku, forget about protecting innocent people from that monster. She wanted to forget about the Shikon no Tama, the cursed jewel she'd grown up hearing legends about had cost her nearly everything she'd ever loved.

It was more than she could bear. Sango leaned her head against a tree and started to cry softly to herself. She missed her father, she missed his strength, the warm feeling that she had when he looked into her eyes and smiled at her. The comfort that she'd felt when he would hold her and soothe away her fears and doubts. It had been so very long since she'd been able to lean on anyone like that.

Even her friends had hardly seen that side of Sango, only once had she thrown herself into Kagome's arms and sobbed wildly while Miroku and Inuyasha stood by, awkward in the face of her grief and loss. Her control was slipping away, she had to let the pain out or it would consume her.

Sango was startled when a hand reached out the darkness to grab her shoulder roughly and spin her around. Sesshomaru stared down at her, the moonlight making his pale skin seem to glow from within. It streaked his hair with silver radiance, turning him into a sculpture of ice and pure starshine. She caught her breath and looked up into his unreadable eyes.

_Am I still dreaming_, she wondered. His finger reached out slowly to stroke her wet face. Crumbling, she flung her arms around the demon's neck and sobbed hysterically into his chest.

Sesshomaru stood quite still, looking down at the girl in confusion. He had come all this way to kill and now here she was, crying like her heart had shattered inside her and her tears wetting his neck. Strange how it didn't disgust him, strange how he didn't want to push her away. His hand came up to bury itself in the soft darkness of her hair, holding her gently against him.

"Don't cry," he murmured.

A memory, long since buried and discarded, surfaced in his mind. He remembered how once as a very young child he had woken from an unpleasant dream and started to cry. His father had entered the room then and instead of remonstrating his son for showing such weakness, had simply picked him up and tucked him firmly against his chest. He'd held him and comforted him until he fell asleep again.

The memory stirred strange and unused feelings inside him and he frowned thoughtfully. This girl. She was in need of someone and he found his heart could not deny her.

Gradually, Sango's shoulders stopped shaking and she grew quiet, relaxing against Sesshomaru's body. Embarrassed by her display of emotion, Sango put her hands on his chest to gently push herself away. She looked up and smiled shyly at him. "Sesshomaru, I..."

His hand cupped her cheek and stilled her voice. Sesshomaru leaned down to kiss her softly, a gentle brush of his lips against hers. Sango closed her eyes and sighed, peaceful sensations flooding her body, making her melt like snow in the spring sunshine.

Sesshomaru smiled down at her, savoring the scent of her hair, feeling her body relax against his. He kissed the girl again, slipping his tongue between her lips teasingly. Sango's hands tightened, twisting her fingers in the soft folds of his clothing. She pressed herself against him urgently; the hot strength of his mouth on hers was making her dizzy, the touch of his hand sliding around her waist made her knees quiver with desire.

And then in a sudden flash he disappeared and she was left holding nothing but air. Sango stumbled forward, barely catching herself against a tree in time to keep from falling. She was trembling, she was aching with frustration. Where did he go, she wondered nervously. Why did he come here and then vanish like that?

She bowed her head, her eyes stinging and raised her hand to her flushed face. What am I doing? Sango shuddered and felt hot shame cover her body. He didn't want her; she obviously repulsed him in some way. Humiliated by his rejection, she turned and started to go back to camp.

An arm snaked out of the darkness behind her to wrap firmly around her body. His breath was hot in her ear and Sango's heart turned over in her chest. "You are mine," the youkai lord's voice whispered softly. "I have claimed you as my own and you shall not deny it."

She was suddenly afraid of him, her hands reaching down to clutch at the arm that was holding her tight. The tip of his tongue burned against her neck and she gasped. He tasted her again, running his tongue slowly up the side of her throat to under her ear.

Sango sighed, her voice catching. "Yes."

"Mine," Sesshomaru whispered again. "When I want you, I will have you. You offered yourself to me and I have accepted. So it shall be between us." He would not destroy her, she belonged to him now and he burned to consume her with fierce, blazing passion. Possessive instincts had warred with his natural disdain of all things human and instinct had won. He could no more kill her now than he could give her up.

Sango gasped as his hand roamed over her body and a fiery wave of longing nearly made her cry out. His face was buried in the crook of her neck and his long, silky hair swept over her face. "Tell me you want me," he ordered, his voice muffled against her skin.

"I want you," she whispered. Sesshomaru ground his hips into her back, letting her feel him.

His mouth nuzzled her face, the tips of his fangs grazing her cheek. "Say you belong to me."

"I belong to you," Sango murmured, drowning in her need for him. He squeezed her tightly, his arm pressing hard against her ribcage.

"Say it louder," he hissed, his breath burning into the back of her neck.

"I belong to you!" Sango cried desperately.

Sesshomaru paused, intensely pleased with her eagerness, her capitulation, her passionate response to his demands. He let himself become lost in her desire for him. His hand stroked her skin, eliciting tremors from her body. He looked up at the sky, measuring his hunger for her against the sweet torment of not having her just yet.

Someday, he vowed, he would be able to take his time, he would have the leisure to coax ever last drop of response from her and show her the true meaning of youkai stamina. At this moment, however, the pressure inside him was building to a fevered pitch and he could smell his own dangerous loss of control looming ahead. He needed to feel her skin against his before he abandoned all reason and thought.

Sango woke from her desire-induced stupor to find that she was flying upwards through the tree branches. Her face was buried in Sesshomaru's chest, his hand pressed firmly against the small of her back. The youkai pulled her to a sturdy bough, soft leaves brushed against her hair as he set her down, the moon bathing them in a radiant pool of light. His mouth caught hers in a deep, possessive kiss and Sango surrendered herself to him again and lived between the waves of passion that crashed over her body, leaving her breathless in their wake.

oOo

Sango opened her eyes slowly, reluctantly. The brightness of the dawn sunlight caught her full in the face and for a moment the demon exterminator was blinded. She lazily raised her hand to shield her eyes and thought that if she had any choice, she wouldn't move from where she was for at least a day or more. Her entire body was deliciously relaxed, a light wind whispering over her bare shoulders and the gentle rustle of leaves and tree branches played in her ears.

Tree branches? Sango yawned, waking fully at last. A fingertip traced its way slowly down her back, the soft touch tickling slightly as it outlined the sensitive skin of the mark on her back.

"Where did you get this scar?"

She turned slightly so she could look up at him. The dawn had painted the youkai prince in shades of rose and gold, outlining his features in a pink-hued perfection. Sango found herself lying in his lap, her cheek pressed against the firm muscles of his stomach and her right arm wrapped around his waist. She wondered how long Sesshomaru had been watching her sleep. For the first time she realized that he probably had no idea what had happened, what had set her on the path she walked with his brother and their friends, bent on Naraku's destruction.

"Kohaku gave me the scar," she said softly. "Naraku took control of him, forced him to kill our father and the other demon exterminators. He almost killed me as well. I should have died that day; I couldn't bear the thought of Kohaku going to his death alone after what happened."

"Why did you survive?" His voice was cool, holding nothing more than a mild curiosity.

Sango considered the question. "When I woke and realized I still lived, I wanted revenge more than anything. I refused to let myself die without taking the bastard responsible with me."

His palm brushed her hair, his lips curved in a faint smile. She had a fighting spirit, his little human. It was that spark, that fire within her that had so attracted him. If he closed his eyes slightly, he could see the warm human energy radiating from her skin. As his fingers brushed her bare flank, the girl shivered and leaned trustingly against him. Her body was tawny golden in comparison to his glacial paleness and the scent of her reminded him of warm honey.

Sango put her hand up and touched his bare chest. Her fingers explored the impossibly smooth skin, taking in the velvety texture of youkai. There was so much that she didn't know about this demon with his unreadable golden eyes and motivations she couldn't guess at. He said he despised humans, calling them filth, animals barely worth killing. How he hated his brother for the blood that made him only half-demon, hanyou, imperfect and unworthy.

Thinking of Inuyasha brought a small frown to her forehead and her eyes were drawn to his silk covered left shoulder. He noticed the direction of her gaze and smiled inwardly. So she was curious, was she? Sesshomaru gracefully shrugged aside his sleeve. Sango stared hard at what remained of the demon lord's arm; she'd been intrigued since first hearing the story of that battle from Kagome. The amputated limb was not disfigured or scarred, simply ending just above where his left elbow should be and the bottom of the stump tapering slightly, smooth and pink.

Sango had seen enough battle wounds in her time to know what she was looking at was unusual. "It's...it's growing back?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, amused by her surprise. "Of course. I am daiyoukai."

Her hand reached to touch it hesitantly. "It doesn't hurt?"

"No."

She removed her hand, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Nothing else could have brought the realization home to her more clearly that her lover was anything but human. A daiyoukai, capable of regenerating lost limbs, inhuman, perfect, utterly remorseless and deadly. It was a very strange position for a demon exterminator to find herself in.

Something rippled gently in the breeze and Sango looked up. Toukijin had been thrust into the tree above their heads and the cloth hanging like a flag from its hilt was none other than her own discarded yukata.

"I wondered where that had gotten to," she said, a silly grin fixing itself on her face.

"Hmm," Sesshomaru said noncommittally.

"Sango!" A voice was calling for her. She froze, that was Kagome's voice and Sango knew her friend had awakened and come in search of her.

Sesshomaru smiled lazily. "It seems you've been missed." He reached up to capture her discarded clothing and dropped it over her shoulders as she sat up. Sango managed to balance on the gently swaying tree branch while she dressed herself hurriedly.

The youkai merely stood up, stretching contentedly, and slipped his swords into his sash as he tied his robes securely. He retrieved his armor, moving easily over the treetops as if he were more at home on them than he was on the ground. Finally, he turned and gazed down at her for a moment, his face empty of expression and his eyes full of the sun. Sango opened her mouth, wondering what was appropriate to say at such a moment.

_When will I see you again, Sesshomaru-sama_, she wondered.

And then he was suddenly gone from her sight, she blinked a few times at the space where he'd been standing and heard her name called out again. Sango sighed to herself as she began to work her way down to the ground.

"He could have at least helped me get out of this damn tree."

oOo

"Sango, I was so worried! Where did you go?" Kagome flung herself into her friend's arms, relieved but still wanting to shake the exterminator for making her worry.

"I'm sorry," she said, embracing the younger girl. "I must have tripped over a tree root or something and hit my head. I didn't mean to scare you, Kagome."

Miroku frowned, concern in his eyes. "Are you injured? He reached out to her, a solicitous expression on his face. "Let me see, a blow to the head that rendered you unconscious could be dangerous."

Sango fended off the monk's well-meaning hands with a practiced ease. "No, thank you, houshi-sama."

Miroku pouted and shook his head. "You don't trust me? I assure you, my intentions were quite pure."

"Since when?" she asked, grinning to take the sting out of her rejection.

Kagome rolled her eyes and slipped her hand around Sango's arm. "Oh Miroku, of course we trust you. It's just your hands we don't trust."

The monk smirked. "Well, they do have a mind of their own, but you don't seriously think I'd take advantage of an injured woman, do you?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Sango muttered under her breath.

"Sango, you wound me," he said, dramatically laying his reprobate hand on his chest.

Kagome snickered at his act. "There he goes again, playing the misunderstood monk. Honestly Miroku, as many times as we've seen and felt you in action, you can't think we'd fall for that."

He chuckled happily as he fell into step behind the girls. "My dear ladies, I believe in living life to its fullest. I can think of no sadder death than lying in bed and looking back on life with regrets for lost opportunities."

"Well, that won't be you," Sango said mischievously. "In the time we've known each other I can't think of once when you ever lost an opportunity."

Miroku bowed extravagantly to the exterminator. "I'll take that as a compliment."

They had reached the campsite and Sango smiled. Kohaku and Shippou were sitting together and looking at one of Kagome's picture books, the kitsune curled comfortably in the boy's lap as they turned the pages.

Kohaku looked up and smiled. "There you are, sister."

She went to ruffle his hair, still hungry to touch him whenever she could. "I'm sorry, Kohaku. You weren't worried about me, I hope."

He shook his head, a small frown crossing his forehead. "No, I wasn't worried. For some reason, I just knew you were all right. Where did you go anyway?"

She hated lying to him, she truly did. But there was no other answer for it, not right now. "I fell down and knocked myself out. Pretty stupid accident, huh?"

"Stupid is right," Inuyasha said, emerging from the forest with leaves in his hair. "If that's what happened, you're way clumsier than I ever took you for." The hanyou stopped suddenly and stared at her, his head thrown back and his eyes narrowed. Sango swallowed nervously, noticing the way he was sniffing at the air. His face went pale and then flushed dark red.

"I gotta go," he barked and turned right around and dashed back into the forest.

Kagome planted her hands on her hips and glared after the half-demon. "What is his problem these days?" she demanded, shooting Miroku and Sango a dark look. "He's even edgier than normal."

Miroku scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it, he has been acting a bit peculiar. More short tempered than usual, something I hadn't thought possible. Had you noticed it, Sango?"

The demon exterminator knelt over her pack, rolling her bedding into a neat package that she could carry easily. She'd been far too preoccupied with her own thoughts to notice much of anything around her. "I can't say, I didn't think he was behaving strangely."

She was quite glad that neither of them could see her face, she was blushing so hard.

oOo

Inuyasha stormed through the trees, occasionally slashing at the inoffensive shrubbery with his claws. For fuck's sake, didn't the stupid bitch have enough sense to take a fucking bath after doing something like that? What the hell was she thinking anyway, sneaking off in the middle of the night to whore for Sesshomaru?

He briefly contemplated putting his head into the nearest tree, but even knocking himself silly wouldn't help his situation now. Luckily, there was a brisk running stream somewhere ahead and it had exactly what he needed. Cold water.

Ice cold water as it turned out. Inuyasha ducked his head in the frigid stream, said screw it, and threw his whole body in. He came up sputtering and coughing, his lungs protesting the icy temperature of the water. The half-demon hauled himself out of the stream and flopped wetly onto the grass without even shaking himself dry. For a moment, he truly wished it was the night of the new moon and he could be just another nose-blind human. Not that even that would help him right now, as it was still full daylight. He groaned loudly and covered his face with his hands.

Inuyasha was starting to shiver, but he figured he had himself under control again. The scent had hit him so strong and sudden; he sure hadn't been prepared for that. The musk of sex and sweat had clung to Sango, radiating off her body like heavy perfume. It had gone like a spike to a primitive part of his brain, making him instantly, intensely aroused. Yeah, like he needed to worry about that now on top of everything else. He didn't need another distraction; Kagome was about all he could deal with.

It was just embarrassing to lose control like that. He hoped they hadn't realized why. He'd caught himself watching Kagome way too often, looking away when he realized the thoughts stewing around in that overactive hanyou brain of his were nothing like friendship or even tender protectiveness. Her body had, well, matured lately and even a blind fool could notice it. He was sure Miroku had, flushing a bit when he realized that the monk was probably having less than innocent thoughts as well.

If Miroku even had innocent thoughts, he wasn't sure. Inuyasha firmly told himself to just get over it, quit thinking like a hormone-crazed demon and just focus on the task of finding Naraku and ripping his evil head off and cramming it up his ass. After that, there'd be plenty of time to sort out the way he felt about Kagome.

It was just that sometimes when he carried her, feeling her thighs pressing tight against his hips, the sweet curve of her body riding the small of his back and the pressure of her breasts leaning into him, unconscious of the kind of wild ideas they stirred...shit yes, it was distracting!

Growling furiously, he jumped up. "That's not helping!" he shouted and threw himself back into the icy water. Life certainly did suck.

oOo

"Kirara?" Sango had looked everywhere and still she hadn't found the cat-youkai. She looked down at Shippou and Kohaku. "When is the last time you saw her?"

The kitsune shrugged his little shoulders, sitting placidly on top of Kohaku's head. "I dunno, I didn't see her when I woke up, but I wasn't looking for her either."

"Just great," Sango muttered. She was wondering if the cat had gone off sulking somewhere. Well, nothing she could do about it, Kirara could find her and Kohaku anywhere and she was sure the cat wouldn't abandon them. It hurt that her best friend was so disapproving, but she couldn't blame Kirara either. The cat demon had been raised by youkai exterminators, what Sango had been doing with a certain demon had to feel like treason.

Sometimes she agreed with the cat, wishing that her father were still alive so she could talk to him about what she was feeling. Then she realized that she would be far too ashamed to bring such a subject up to the man who had raised her hunt and slay demons, protecting innocent women and girls from falling victim to the obscene lusts of monsters.

She sighed and closed her eyes, dreaming of the warmth of his lips. Sango decided that she needed a quick bath before they got on the road. Kagome had noticed that she'd barely touched her breakfast and then mentioned for someone who spent a whole night lying unconscious in the woods, she sure didn't look rested. She was really letting herself get too wrapped up in what had happened. She was positive, absolutely positive, that it was just physical. After all, she was only human, wasn't it normal for an active, healthy woman of her age to have some kind of sexual desires?

Most girls her age were married with three or four children. Sango was deeply grateful that her father had chosen to break with tradition and train her in the arts of slaying. She had to be the first female from the village to have been trained so for generations. Now she was also the last. That's what really hurt; her and Kohaku were all that was left of what had been a thriving community. It was so unfair it made her sick.

Sango kicked a rock out of her way. Kagome had said that there was a stream not far from where they'd camped. No hot spring, but she thought a quick dip might just get her and Kirara on speaking terms again, if the temperamental twin-tailed kitten ever decided to show up.

A menacing growl broke her out of her reverie and Sango turned around slowly. It was Kirara, fully transformed and if a cat could scowl, that would be the expression on her face. She noticed not for the first time how very long and sharp the cat-youkai's fangs were. Surely no, she wouldn't attack her, not over this, not over just smelling like youkai. She took a deep breath, holding out her hands in a pacifying gesture.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I know you don't understand, Kirara."

"Nah, she understands."

She jumped. Inuyasha had appeared out of the forest like judgment itself, arms folded and eyes narrowed in an angry glare. Sango tossed her head, refusing to be intimidated this time.

"I thought we talked about it and you weren't...why are you all wet?"

"None of your business," he snapped. "You could do with a bath yourself; you got any idea how bad you reek, bitch? You're lucky that me and Kirara are the only ones who can tell what kind of accident you really had last night."

She flushed, still keeping her distance from them both. "It's none of your business, Inuyasha. You're not my father; you don't tell me who to sleep with."

He snorted. "No shit. Your father would be crapping himself if he knew you were screwing someone like Sesshomaru. I bet he'd be really proud, Sango."

She caught her breath as that had stung her to the quick. "Maybe you're right about that," she husked. Her eyes burned and she furiously fought back tears, knowing Inuyasha had no sympathy for human emotions. Wasn't that why he hated turning human on the new moon? It made him into a weak, vulnerable human who could be swayed by feelings like loneliness and want.

Inuyasha looked away, instantly regretting his mouth getting the best of him. She didn't deserve to be attacked just because he couldn't control the demon side of him that had reacted to her scent. Not for the first time, he realized what a bastard he could be. He looked down at the still tense and transformed Kirara and his mouth quirked in a smile. He leaned over, putting his hand on the back of the cat's head while he whispered in her ear.

Sango frowned, hearing the strange hissing and purring sounds that the hanyou was making. Kirara shook herself suddenly and dropped back into her adorable kitten form, stalking away from them primly with her tails held high. "Don't tell you speak her language."

He grinned. "A little, just what I picked up here and there. I don't think you'll have any more problems with her."

Sango stared at him. "What did you say?"

"Don't worry about it."

She glared at him. "No, I want to know. What did you tell her about me?"

Inuyasha was openly smirking now. "I just put your situation in terms that Kirara could understand. Don't make a big deal out of it, Sango. She won't."

"What did you say?"

He sighed. "I just told her that you were in heat and couldn't be held responsible for what you were doing. Kirara is a youkai, you know. She understands how strong the mating urge can be, you'd probably rut with the first male you ran across. It just happened to be a youkai male that caught you."

Sango picked up a rock. "You jackass, you make me sound like some kind of, some kind of, I don't know what you made me sound like but it's not funny!"

He doubled over, laughing at her expression. It was priceless and he didn't even care if she bounced that rock off his head, because he deserved it. "Was I wrong?" he asked, snickering helplessly.

She thought about it, remembering how her legs had clenched around Sesshomaru's, her fingers clawing down his back and her voice calling out his name like some craven, shameless...

She dropped her rock, blushing. "No, I guess not."

He waved his hand. "Go take a bath. We've got to get back on the road if we're ever going to track down Naraku. It was your morning to cook breakfast too, bitch. Don't think I missed that. I expect something impressive for supper tonight."

"Is that so?" she replied archly.

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder and gave her an evil smirk. "It had better be, I might talk in my sleep tonight if I'm too hungry."

Sango's mouth dropped open at his implied threat and then couldn't hold back a laugh as the hanyou bounded away into the forest. Strangely, he seemed to be enjoying his chance to tease her, something he'd never done before. She wondered at that, just as she wondered about his agreement to keep quiet about her nighttime activities.

As much as he detested his older brother, it seemed he didn't disapprove. Sango smiled slightly to herself as she headed off to her bath. Maybe she'd misjudged him. If that was so, then maybe she'd misjudged herself.


	4. Four

Chapter Four

Sango dropped to her knees, tired. Sweaty and dirty too, she braced her hand against Hiraikotsu and tried to catch her breath. "Tell me that was the last of them," she panted.

Miroku smiled, wrapping the rosary beads tight around his hand. "I believe it was. They weren't very willing to be exterminated, were they?"

A nasty little nest of serpent oni had been plaguing the local villages and Sango had felt that they were morally obligated to root out the pests and destroy them. Serpents had a nasty trick of sneaking into human habitations at night so they could bite and steal children. When they'd walked into the small town, her uniform, which clearly identified her as an exterminator, had caught the peasants' attention. So much that they were willing to brave the sight of Inuyasha in order to approach the group and beg for assistance.

The half-demon had been less receptive to their requests. "Damn snakes, they don't even have jewel shards. Why is it always our problem when we've got more important things to be tracking down and killing?"

Sango planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I am a demon exterminator, that's why it's my problem. I'm not asking you to help. I can take care of a damn snake nest on my own."

"Not alone," Kohaku piped up. "I'm an exterminator too, I'll help you."

She smiled at her brother, touched to find that he still had his sense of duty. "Thanks, Kohaku, but I can handle it. You're still not feeling well, are you?"

The truth was she was a little concerned about Kohaku. Although the boy lay quietly at night, seeming to sleep deeply, his eyes had dark circles under them and she noticed how any exertion seemed to leave him short of breath. She wasn't going to risk her little brother, not over a nest of miserable serpent oni.

The monk sighed and leaned forward to pat the boy on the shoulder. "I will go with Sango, just in case it turns out to be more than just a simple extermination. Why don't you remain with Kagome? She could use your help in treating those poisoned by serpent bites."

Kagome gave him a grateful look and turned a happy smile on the young exterminator. "Kohaku-kun, I could really use your help. I have herbs to steep that might ease these people's pain." She shot a dark look over her shoulder at the hanyou. "And you'll be more help than some people in calming these villagers down and getting them to trust me enough to take the medicine.

Inuyasha yawned as if this exchange had simply bored him to tears. "Whatever. You go play priestess if that's what you want. I'm going to find a good place for a quick nap."

"Selfish snot," she muttered, watching the hanyou walk away. "Like it kills him every time he has to help someone and there's nothing in it for him."

The girl continued muttering under her breath, oblivious to Kohaku's shy smile. Since joining the group, he'd come to have a great respect for Kagome; she was so different from anyone else he'd ever met. So kind and forgiving, and very tolerant too otherwise she'd have sat Inuyasha right into the underworld by now.

He knelt beside her as the young woman began laying out her things. Although desperate for help and attracted by the idea of medicine to ease their suffering, it was clear the villagers didn't want to come too close to the strangely dressed girl.

Kagome set out different packets of herbs, scratching her head thoughtfully as she decided to try a simple combination to start with. Most serpent oni were closely related to real snakes and she thought that a true antivenin would probably be the most effective. But it wasn't like she had the kind of time or resources to come up with something that sophisticated.

When in doubt, treat the symptoms, she decided, selecting a packet. Kohaku watched her.

"What's that?" he asked.

Kagome smiled at him, she liked Sango's little brother. He was so inquisitive and gentle, it was hard to believe the horrors he'd committed while under Naraku's influence. She shook out some of the herbs into her palm. "This one is good for taking the sting out of bites; Kaede told me that if it's made into a poultice, it can draw out poisons also. After I let these steep awhile, we'll mix it up and see if she's right. Then I've got some antibacterial spray that should help their wounds heal."

She frowned slightly, digging in her pack. "I'm almost out of everything," Kagome murmured. "I think it's time we took a break anyway. We haven't heard even a rumor about shards for weeks and no sign of Naraku."

The boy flinched at the name and Kagome instantly put her hand on his, struck by the look on his face. "I'm sorry, does it bother you that I said his name?"

Kohaku relaxed and tried to smile at her. "Not so much anymore," he said quietly. "It just that I forget to be afraid of him, and then when I'm reminded that he's still out there, it all comes back to me."

More than that, the sound of the monster's name triggered other memories. People screaming as he relentlessly tracked them down, cutting them open, watching their blood and guts pouring into the dirt while they were still alive and crying. He pushed the memories back, rejecting them.

Kagome's soft fingers were curled around his and she very gently reached around him to hug his shoulders. Kohaku let his head drop a little and Kagome released his hand so she could brush the hair out of his eyes. He was so like Souta, she missed her brother with a pang.

_I bet he's getting taller_, she thought wistfully. "Kohaku, don't you think about him one more minute. He's never going to get his hooks into you again."

The boy stared at the ground, his eyes dark. "I'm not so much scared of that, I just hate remembering everything. Maybe it was easier when I didn't know who I was, but then I wouldn't have Sango, and you and Shippou. I like having friends again."

"Yes," she said, smiling at him and trying to get him to shake off the ghosts.

He blushed and edged away from her. It was embarrassing to have such a pretty girl holding him like he was just a kid. He'd gotten used to it from his sister, who took every opportunity to hug the stuffing out of him. "Kagome, can I tell you something?"

"Of course, Kohaku. What is it?"

He took a deep breath, feeling the need to unburden himself just a little. "Naraku, he...when he made me hurt people. When he made me kill people...he made me like it."

There, it was out. He felt so damn guilty about that, wondering what had ever twisted the demon's mind to do that to him. Bad enough to be used as Naraku's personal executioner, it was worse to remember the thrill and the avid gleam he had gotten from his crimes. He felt dirty, used. Like he'd never be able to be clean again, much less deserving of friendship and his sister's love.

"Kohaku-kun, listen to me." Kagome took his face in both his hands and looked into his eyes. "You've done nothing to be ashamed of, understand? He used you like he uses everyone, you were just a puppet. If he made you like what you did, it was because he enjoyed it, and so you'd be even more horrified later."

The boy's face flushed, tension standing out in his features. "But I feel so bad now," he whispered, his voice cracking. Kagome sighed and let her hands drop.

"I know you do, I wish there was some way for us to take that pain away. Give yourself some time. It will get easier, I promise."

oOo

Miroku whistled happily as he strode through the forest. A mere nest of serpent oni indeed. It was more like a whole damn colony, they had been getting fat off the blood of the villagers and their numbers must have multiplied. He made a mental note to renegotiate their fee. Sango didn't like him asking for things in return for their help, but someone had to be practical. They were low on all their supplies, tired of sleeping on the cold ground.

He in particular was tired of sleeping alone, but he'd already taken a good look around the village and realized dismally that the best looking women must have run off in fear of the serpents or made them a tasty meal. Not one attractive female in the lot.

Speaking of which, he increased his pace so he could fall in alongside Sango. "That was a nice bit of work back there, Sango. I must say your skills seem to be constantly growing stronger. It was a true pleasure to watch you in action."

She smiled. "I could hardly have taken them all without your help, houshi-sama. If you hadn't come with me, I would have almost certainly let some escape and they'd have burrowed deeper into these woods until their numbers were strong again."

A placid, contemplative smile. "It is our duty to protect the innocent. I am always glad to have been of service."

Sango grinned at him and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "We're almost there now," she said, walking ahead of him again. He watched the motion of her hips in the tight uniform. It was definitely a pleasure to work with her, travel with her, having her always within arm's reach, but still unobtainable. He sighed. A man did love a challenge.

He sidled up beside her again, his hand casually dropping between them. "If you like," he murmured, rubbing her bottom meaningfully, "our return won't be expected for some time..." He trailed off and waited for the inevitable slap and shout of anger.

It didn't come. Sango froze in her tracks, Miroku's hand still sliding in a slow caress over her hips. Her face burned red and she looked away from him.

"Please don't do that."

Huh? Where was his slap? Where was the delightful look of outrage and embarrassment that he'd come to treasure? His hand stilled, but didn't move away from her body.

"Sango?" he said, uncertainly. Why wouldn't she look at him?

"Miroku, please don't touch me like that anymore." He withdrew his hand, startled by the serious chill in her tone.

Sango's voice was tight and she didn't know how to make this work. She had to make him understand, oh but she couldn't tell him why. It hurt, not being able to explain. Since the first time they'd met, there'd been this playful banter between them, a flirtation between the monk and herself. The attraction existed, had grown into a mutual respect and strong friendship.

Sango didn't want to lose that. Miroku had stood beside her, defended her on more than one occasion. There was no one that she felt she could rely on more to be on her side of a battle. She'd always slapped him back, hit him on the head with rocks, Hiraikotsu, tree branches and none of it seemed to matter to the monk. He kept cheerfully trying to grope her no matter how much damage she dealt him.

She'd known all along that if she really wanted him to stop, all she had to do was ask.

Now she was asking him, praying for Miroku to hear the sincerity in her voice. She didn't want him touching her, not anymore. She belonged to another and by the gods, what would happen if the demon lord caught sight of Miroku's wandering hands? It would be nothing less than horrifying and even if Miroku survived the encounter, she'd never be able to look her friend in the face again and not hate herself.

"My apologies, Sango. It won't happen again."

Wordless, she brushed on ahead, her jaw clenched tightly. If she could have done it, if it wouldn't have seemed like a tease, she would have turned back and thanked him. No, she had to lay it out like that, cold, abrupt. He wouldn't hate her; she hoped it wasn't going to have to be like that. Still, her heart unclenched a little at his easy agreement to her request. They'd left enough unsaid, she knew any explanation would lead to more questions she wasn't ready to answer.

Miroku stared after the girl, watching as her firm, quick steps carried her away. "What the hell was that about?" he said aloud.

"Looks like she doesn't want you grabbing her ass anymore," Inuyasha said.

Miroku looked up. "You saw the whole thing?"

The hanyou bounced down to the ground, smirking a little. "It had to happen sometime. I just figured she was going to beat the shit out of you a few more times before she got serious."

He was still puzzled. "Did I do something to offend her?" Inuyasha gave him a black look and Miroku held up his hands before the hanyou could start to list all the ways that the monk had offended Sango in the past.

"Okay, I know, I know. But there was something weird about that. I know she meant it and all that, but why now? As many times as she's belted me around, and I've enjoyed it too, I've never seen her so serious."

Inuyasha grinned; purely enjoying the confusion the monk was experiencing. He could guess the reasoning behind Sango's actions and couldn't help but be amused. "Maybe it's just you, Miroku. She's finally fed up with your groping and your womanizing. She probably doesn't hate all men, she's just sick of your hands in particular."

Miroku raised his eyebrows. "You mean that she would prefer it if someone else touched her?"

Damn, the monk was sharp when he wanted to be. Inuyasha tried not to let his consternation show. "Depends on who it was," he said loftily.

The monk stared hard at him. "Like who? Are you saying that if it were you she'd have a different reaction?"

Inuyasha scratched his head thoughtfully. "Dunno. Never grabbed her ass to find out."

oOo

Sesshomaru stood on the balcony outside his study, letting the night wind play through his hair. It was strange how he still thought of these rooms as belonging to his father. Almost a century had passed since the youkai lord's death and his presence still clung to every stone of the fortress, at least in Sesshomaru's mind. Alone and having a penchant for reflection at the moment, he found he could admit he still missed his father.

Not that Inutaisho had been an easy man to get along with, let alone have as a father. They'd fought far too often in the last years of his life. Sesshomaru had no regrets about it, his father not having been the kind of man who would respect even his own son after backing down from a fight.

What he regretted were the chilly silences, the months of not speaking that usually followed a good knock down of an argument. Now, nearly a century after Inutaisho's abrupt and violent demise, he still found himself expecting to see his father striding across the courtyard, his shout of laughter echoing across the stones.

Sesshomaru turned away from the night and its ghosts and went into the relative comfort of his study. It was going to be a long night indeed if he was dwelling on Inutaisho. He supposed he could pass the night easier if he had company, but at the moment there was only one female that held his interest and she wasn't there.

Not for the first time, he pondered the reasons that the exterminator had taken such hold over his thoughts. She was lovely, but it was more than that. A pretty plaything might be discarded when he tired of it and he had no such inclinations about his human woman.

There was something elusive about her, some indefinable quality he couldn't quite put his finger on. He wanted more from her, much more than he had wanted from any of the number of lovely youkai women that had caught his attention over the years.

The demon lord paced the carpet, his light footsteps whispering faintly on the fine embroidered texture. He was restless tonight; a sensation like an itch that couldn't be scratched tickled at the back of his mind. Across the room, his eyes fell on Toukijin hanging on his wall.

The sword's dark swirling aura challenged him; even at rest the malice could be felt. He had standing orders that under no circumstances were any of the household staff to ever go near it. The damn thing had a mind of its own and could easily seduce the unwary into touching it, burning away any sense of self or volition and turning their bodies into tools that existed only to slake the cursed sword's bloodlust.

Sesshomaru's mouth twisted in a slightly bitter sneer. Weak minded fools might be vulnerable to Toukijin's influence, but he was its master. The sword might have a will of its own, but it was far less powerful than his. He knew how to dominate the sword, bend it to his will. It was easy, it was natural, hell it was what he did best when it came right down to it.

Being born daiyoukai meant that other demons instinctively saw him as their leader, biologically driven to submit and follow him like the fawning lapdogs they were. However, if there was one thing he had inherited from his father it was the power to utterly command and dominate those around him. He would tolerate no dissension from his allies and not a hint of disloyalty from his household.

He knew he had not inherited Inutaisho's charisma or diplomacy, much less his deviant sense of humor. His father was the kind of youkai who lit up the room wherever he went, holding together the unruly clans of the West with the force of his personality alone. He shook his head, remembering how his father's temper could bring the whole fortress to a standstill with a single shout.

Sesshomaru himself was not so quick to anger, but those who did cross him rarely lived long enough to warn others. He preferred it that way; a clean end to conflicts and no one ever doubted his pure youkai nature.

A pulse of powerful energy caught him unawares and Sesshomaru stood frozen, held in the grip of youki. His hand reached slowly for the back of a chair, his claws digging in and shredding the fine upholstery. Tenseiga.

A hiss escaped his lips, angry. He looked over his shoulder at the inoffensive looking blade, hanging not far from Toukijin. He despised that katana; he would have despised anything that had the power to compel him like this. Once again, the combination of a swordsmith's ultimate skill and his father's powerful will made demands on him. Tenseiga was not the weapon that Toukijin and Tessaiga were; its powers were far more subtle and demanding.

Gritting his teeth, the youkai lord went to the katana and took its shiny smooth blade in his hand. It couldn't cut him; it felt as dull against his palm as a child's toy sword. It was the youki that bit into his fingers and ground against his soul.

"Curse you," he muttered. "I, Sesshomaru, do not bend to you. Tenseiga does not command me!"

An answering pulse brought him to his knees, flooding his body with a burning white-hot energy. Tenseiga did demand, Tenseiga did compel and exact a price from him when he chose to use its powers. Sesshomaru felt an almost incandescent fury at his father for putting him in this position. "Curse you, old man, you're making me weak!"

He wanted to throw it away, bury it in the earth and forget about what the katana could do. He had learned better and knew that Tenseiga would hound him until he complied with what it wanted from him. The blade was possessive about those it had called back from the grave. The demon gripped the blade hard and pulled himself to his feet, tasting copper in his mouth and hearing his father's laughter echoing in his ears.

"All right," he ground out. "What do you want from me this time?"

oOo

Kagome stared at Inuyasha; she couldn't have been more surprised if the half-demon had suddenly sprouted wings and started flapping around her head while crooning love songs. "You mean it? You're not going to argue with me at all?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, I think it's a good idea."

They were sitting next to each other on the soft grass next to a small creek and Kagome's mouth dropped open in surprise. She scooted closer until she was practically in his lap, causing the hanyou to flush and edge away from her nervously. Her face held a rapt expression.

"Who are you and what have you done with Inuyasha?"

She was starting to creep him out a bit, staring at him with those big eyes of hers. "Look," he said peevishly. "You haven't been home in what, three weeks? Your mom is probably getting worried about you. I know you're tired, Sango and Miroku are tired. As for Kohaku, I don't know how he's even staying on his feet. It's as good a time as any to go back to the village for a rest, it's not like we've even heard so much as a rumor about a jewel shard."

Kagome smiled and reached for his hand, squeezing it with both of hers. Creepy. "I can't believe how considerate you're being."

"Bah," he said, and pushed her away. Kagome fell over, giggling wildly at the expression on his face. It was priceless; he looked so offended at the idea of being thought of as considerate.

Inuyasha glared at her. "What is your problem, girl?"

That just set her laughing harder, curling up in a ball with her knees kicking wildly. So she thought he was funny, did she? Inuyasha grabbed for the kicking legs and rolled the girl over to face him. Kagome hiccupped a few times before she could stop laughing long enough to speak.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha; I'm just so used to fighting with you every time I want to go home."

"If I'm such an asshole, why do you even bother coming back?" he asked sourly.

She sighed, one hand plucking absently at the frayed edge of her school fuku. She really needed to go home for more clothes. "You're not an asshole, not all of the time anyway."

"Not all the time?" he demanded. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kagome grinned at his too serious and grim expression. "I mean you can be nice when you want to be. You just like to pretend you're such a tough guy, I know inside you're really a big softie."

He snorted in annoyance. "Kagome, I swear I can't figure you out."

She just chuckled again. "That's okay, Inuyasha, I still like you anyway. Even when you're a jerk."

Something about her expression intrigued him, her face flushed and rosy from laughter; her eyes were soft and yielding. He was suddenly very conscious that he was still holding her knees under his hands. He raised himself up so he could lean over the girl, his palms slipping up to hold her thighs.

"Why? Why do you like me when I'm not even very nice to you in the first place?"

She stared at him, a soft smile on her lips. "I don't know, I guess because I don't think that's how you really are."

Had she ever been afraid of him? He didn't think so, definitely not after he got that damn rosary around his neck. Why should she be afraid of him when she could drop him with a single word? After that he'd found himself driven for some reason to protect her, a tight, possessive feeling erupted in his heart whenever she was out of his sight. He didn't fight it and it wasn't in his nature to question it too deeply. It was just part of him.

She was probably the only person who had ever accepted him for being exactly who he was, even Kikyou hadn't done that. The priestess had seen him as a hanyou first, a dangerous half-demon. When she'd gotten to know him better, even then she had wanted to change him into something else, human and more acceptable. He didn't blame her; he couldn't hold it against her for not being able to accept his demonic side.

Sometimes he had a hard enough time accepting it himself. But not Kagome, her acceptance had always been unqualified and unconditional; her friendship given freely without demands, with only a simple string of beads to ward off the darkness they both knew was part of what he was.

Kagome was very aware of Inuyasha's hands on her legs and tried not to let it make her nervous. He had a strange expression on his face, one she hadn't seen before. It was soft and fierce at the same time and something about the look in his eyes made her want to blush.

"Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly.

He didn't answer, but sniffed the air like he was looking for something, his hands sliding up her legs and his palms warm against her skin. She drew in a quick breath as the tip of one of his claws grazed against her inner thigh. Her heart was starting to race faster and Kagome felt distinctly dizzy. What on earth did he think he was doing?

Inuyasha wasn't doing much thinking at the moment, his hands had a mind of their own and he didn't even realize how Kagome might be confused by his actions. He just wanted to feel her skin, smell the responsive rush of her scent as her pulse quickened. It was intoxicating and he just couldn't resist anymore, bent his head and gave her a quick lick on the inside of her knee. Kagome jumped, staring up at the trees and swallowing hard.

_This can't be happening_, she thought furiously. _Do I say something? Do I tell him to stop? _

_Do I want him to stop?_

One taste was not enough and Inuyasha licked the girl's leg again, the tip of his tongue traveling sensuously up the inside of her left thigh. His hands slipped under her skirt and reached to cup gently around her hips. It was more than she could deal with and Kagome hitched herself up on her elbows to look down at him in astonishment.

"Hey!"

He just grinned and pressed his finger against her forehead to make her lay back down, enjoying the purely confused look on her face. She smelled good, beyond good. Every nerve in his body was alive with tasting her smell and her texture.

Kagome chewed her lip nervously, wondering if he'd lost his mind. His hands tugged her closer and Kagome's eyelids fluttered shut when he pressed his face against her, nuzzling his nose into the cradle of her hips and growling softly, almost like a cat's purr.

She was trembling; he could feel that easily enough. Her breath began coming out in short, harsh gasps as he moved farther up her torso, rubbing his cheek against her clothing, burying his face in the deep valley that existed between her breasts. He took the tie of that silly uniform in his teeth and slowly pulled.

Inuyasha grinned again at the look of shocked disbelief on her face when the school tie came loose, teasing her like this was the most fun he'd had in weeks. Her confusion, her nervousness, contrasted deliciously with the way her body was responding. Her scent intensified even more when his lips hovered over the hollow of her throat, his breath a hot whisper against her skin.

He flicked the tip of his tongue over her pulse and Kagome whimpered, turning her head submissively to the side. His hand had found its way under her shirt by now and was growing steadily bolder, squeezing her and tracing over the lacy patterns on her bra. His claws inadvertently split the delicate fabric and Kagome gasped aloud as his hand slid over her bare flesh.

Inuyasha's heart was pounding so loud he couldn't think straight, the next thing he knew he had her shirt off and was covering her neck and chest with his mouth, growling possessively and grinding himself into her body. He was drunk on her, lost in her, letting himself slip away from everything, his blood demanding that he only think of here and now and yes, she was his and now he'd take her as his own. No other fucker would ever lay a finger on her, he'd kill them first.

Kagome's arms went around his shoulders, holding him tight against her and gasped out his name in a ragged, husky voice he almost couldn't recognize.

"Inuyasha!"

Somewhere deep in his mind, the memory surfaced, like it sometimes did when he was dreaming or in a bad place in his own mind. Turning, turning slowly, and looking over his shoulder. Shock and betrayal, and yes, pain too as the shaft went into his body. Disbelief then, anger after that. The feeling of slowly fading out of the world was a memory that gave a half-demon nightmares. Helplessness as the cold filled him up, driving him away into something like sleep, something way too close to death to really be like sleep at all.

He could die again. He could die here in her arms and count himself as lucky. Almost he wanted to give up, to surrender, and let his body take over where his confused mind wanted to abdicate. He wanted to have the solace and the relief that Kagome's embrace offered him.

But that wouldn't erase the guilt. It couldn't erase the scar that still puckered on his chest or the fury that had dominated his life before he set eyes on her. It wasn't fair to Kagome. He couldn't let her give herself to someone as unworthy as himself, and not when he didn't deserve her. Not when he couldn't erase the shame that had haunted him, how he had inadvertently caused the death of a woman who loved him, let her love of him weaken and destroy her. Let the lack of trust between them scar them both and make it too easy for a manipulative bastard to sprinkle seeds of doubt, tricking them into betraying each other.

Kagome deserved better, she deserved better than to be used for his release and his comfort. He wouldn't ever let himself be that weak again.

Inuyasha pushed himself off her, cursing his rotten luck and stupidity. Kagome looked up at him, her face pink and shining, evidence of his mouth and hands coloring the creamy flesh of her body. She looked at him, breathless, smiling.

"What's the matter, why did you..."

"We shouldn't be doing this," he ground out, his voice dark ashes of bitterness. He turned away from her, because if he kept looking he really was going to lose his resolve. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I shouldn't have let us go that far."

"It's okay," she babbled, confused and still eager. "I didn't want you to stop, I just thought that we..."

"No," he snapped, a little stronger than he intended. She flinched at his tone. He couldn't look at her, got to his feet without looking at her face, but he could still feel her pain and confusion. He had to make it clear. "It's not right."

"Why?" she demanded, getting angry now, a flush of humiliation rising in her face. "Why is it not right? Is it because...is it because I'm not Kikyou?"

Inuyasha hesitated, she was right in so many ways it was scary, but not in the way that she meant. "Yes," he bit out, stalking away from her so she wouldn't see his self-loathing.

Kagome watched him leave her, sitting half naked on the ground and feeling like a fool. She pulled her knees up under her chin as she balled her discarded clothing to a ball, buried her face in them and wept.


	5. Five

_**Chapter Five**_

"I just want to go home; I don't care how we get there."

Kagome's face was stiff; her jaw locked and something dark was in her eyes. Sango didn't know what to think, something had obviously happened between her and Inuyasha and now Kagome was acting like she couldn't wait to get back to the village and the well that would take her home.

Sango reached out to her friend, touching her gently on the shoulder. "Did he give you a hard time about going home again? Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Kagome muttered, turning her back on Sango's well-meaning attempts. "It's not that, I just miss my family."

She could sympathize, it was easy to understand. She sometimes forgot that Kagome had a whole other life beyond them. Sango imagined it must be peaceful not to worry about demons and jewel shards, evil and destruction. She half wished that she herself could drop into that well and see what kind of world Kagome lived in.

Sighing, she tried again. "I understand that, Kagome. Why won't you let Inuyasha carry you?"

The girl flinched and Sango leveled an icy glare at the hanyou. "What did you do this time, Inuyasha?"

He scowled at her, sitting up in a tree with his arms crossed and murder on his face. "None of your fucking business, Sango. If Kagome doesn't want me carrying her, fine. I'm not forcing her."

"Kirara can't carry four," she snapped, irritated by them both. "Unless you want to be walking back to the village, I don't see any way around it."

She looked around at her companions, her hands on her hips. Kirara gave a tiny mew, sitting placidly in Kohaku's lap. Four was just too many for the distance, not that Kagome or Kohaku weighed much, and it was a question of not making the cat into a pack mule. It wasn't fair to ask it of her.

"Fine," Sango said, looking up at Inuyasha perched in his tree. "You won't carry Kagome. What's it going to be, me or Miroku?" She could ask Kohaku, but the truth was she trusted Kirara just a bit more to be careful of her little brother. Inuyasha in a pissed off mood tended to bound roughly over the landscape at an alarming speed. Kirara would be the smoother and gentler ride of the two.

"I ain't letting that monk on me," Inuyasha growled.

Miroku raised his eyebrows. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I don't fucking like you," the hanyou snarled. Okay, it just seemed a little wrong to him to have a guy riding on his back. Somehow he'd never minded when it was Kagome, or an emergency of some kind, but he'd be damned if he let Miroku sit on him like he was some kind of farm animal.

Sango threw her hands in the air. "I guess I'm the lucky one then. Let's just get this over with so we can all get some rest."

"Good, cause I'm sick of you all," Inuyasha said snottily. Kagome muttered something nasty under her breath and refused to look at him. Damn, she was pissed off. He knew it was his fault and figured that the only way to get around it was to give her some time to let it blow over. As usual, he only made things worse between them.

He jumped down from the tree and turned to Sango. "Just get the fuck on already, you're wasting daylight."

Kagome was settling herself behind Kohaku, sliding easily onto Kirara's now transformed back. She touched the boy's shoulder and frowned. "Kohaku, are you okay? You feel really hot."

The boy looked back at her listlessly. "I'm fine," he mumbled.

"No, you aren't," she said, concern puckering her brow. "You're burning up. Sango, did you know he had a fever?"

Sango hurried over to touch her brother. "Kohaku, why didn't you say anything, you are feverish." His skin was like fire under her hand and she looked at Kagome and Miroku with fear in her eyes. "He's really sick."

Miroku felt the boy's forehead. "We have to get back to the village as soon as possible," he said softly. "Kaede will know how to break this fever; her herb lore far surpasses any of ours."

The exterminator wiped Kohaku's sweaty brow with her hand. "Just hang on, little brother. We'll get you taken care of, it's a promise."

He smiled wanly. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I probably just caught a cold."

She didn't like the gleam in his eyes, not one bit. A fever was one thing; this seemed to be eating him from the inside. Sango cursed herself for being so preoccupied with her own thoughts; she should have noticed Kohaku was getting sick. She kept telling herself it was just normal for him to be weak after being enslaved for so long. She didn't know there might be a real physical illness behind his quiet, listless behavior.

oOo

Kohaku's fever had worsened by the time they reached the village. Sango sat beside her brother, as he lay in Kaede's hut, her face tense with worry. He was burning up, the fever seemed to be consuming him and he was delirious from it.

Kaede sat nearby, grinding herbs to steep and hoping they'd work on the boy. The young man was so ill and her heart went out to the exterminator and her sibling. They were both so young and had already lost so much. She couldn't stand to see further tragedy heaped upon Sango's shoulders.

This concoction she was going to try was the last combination she could think of, the previous three had little to no effect on the boy's illness. In fact, she'd almost swear they fanned the flames of the fever, rousing it to fight harder to claim the boy's life. His thin body shuddered with chills and for the first time in many a year, Kaede felt utterly useless in the face of illness.

Outside the hut, Kagome, Miroku, and Inuyasha sat feeling helpless. Kagome chewed her lower lip, wracking her brain. She'd already given Kohaku the medicine she'd been carrying. It had done nothing for his fever. She thought about all the things that could cause a raging firestorm in a human's body, infection, abscess, and disease.

Kagome shook her head, there had to be something. She stood up and looked at Miroku. "I'm going home," she announced. "I'll bring back medicine from my time, just because Kaede's herbs aren't working doesn't mean we can't try something else."

"I'll go with you," Inuyasha said quietly.

Kagome froze him to the spot with a look that stabbed right into him. "I'll go alone," she said, her eyes glinting dangerously. She flipped her hair back and stalked away from them, her back stiff, carrying her anger between her shoulder blades like a burden.

Miroku watched the girl walk away and whistled softly. "Inuyasha, what did you do?" It was obvious that this was not the usual spat; Kagome looked like she would have happily killed the hanyou.

"I don't want to talk about it," Inuyasha answered, picking at his claws. _Shit_, he thought to himself, _if it wasn't for Kohaku I bet she wouldn't come back at all this time. You sure know how to mess things up, asshole_.

Miroku sensed that something serious had happened between his hanyou friend and Kagome; he was curious but knew when not to press for details. If Sango weren't so worried over Kohaku, he'd have a quick chat with the exterminator. Kagome was more likely to confide in her than him. He cast a speculative look at Shippou, who was miserable when Kagome wasn't around. Did the fox know anything?

Casually, like he was just stretching his legs, Miroku got up and walked over to where Shippou was quietly playing by himself, a few kitsune toys scattered around him.

He knelt next to the fox demon, one hand ruffling the bushy hair on the kitsune's head. "So, Shippou. Did you happen to overhear anything about why Kagome is so mad at Inuyasha?"

Shippou shook his head. "No, she wouldn't tell me. She said it was between them and I shouldn't pry."

The monk frowned. "I think it's something serious. I've never seen her look that mad at him before."

The fox nodded. "I saw her in the woods and she was crying her heart out. I bet it had something to do with Kikyou, but we haven't seen her in weeks. And," the fox added quietly, "I found this."

He held up a piece of torn clothing, seemingly one of the undergarments from Kagome's time. Miroku looked at it thoughtfully. Something had happened between them all right. His mouth quirked in a smile. Kagome must have rejected his advances for some reason. No wonder there's so much tension in the air.

Movement from Kaede's hut caught all their attention. Sango was standing in the doorway, her face ashen.

Miroku hurried to her side. "Sango. Has there been any improvement?"

She shook her head, her hair falling sadly around her face. "No," she murmured, covering her face with her hands. "If anything he's getting worse. He doesn't recognize me at all, he raving about someone coming for him, begging them to save him. I don't know what he's talking about."

Miroku wanted to comfort her, but he didn't want her to think he was trying for a cheap feel at such a moment. Instead he put all the warmth and concern he could into his voice. "He'll be okay, Sango. Just keep positive, we must be strong for him."

"I can't lose him, Miroku. I just can't." She turned and went back into the hut. The monk looked at Inuyasha, his expression grave.

"If the worst does happen," he said quietly. "Do you think your brother would be willing to revive Kohaku a second time?"

Inuyasha pondered the question and absently blew his hair of his eyes. "Damn, I don't know. He might. Then again, I can't say I understand why he does anything these days."

Almost as if on cue, a cold wind blew through the village, scattering chickens and overturning household items. A cloud of dust choked Miroku's nose and he covered his mouth, looking for the source. Inuyasha jumped to his feet, one hand on Tessaiga's hilt, but he didn't draw the sword or look particularly alarmed when the dust cleared and Sesshomaru was standing there.

"I guess I don't have to ask why you're here," Inuyasha drawled. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed with dislike for his brother.

"It's no concern of yours," he said softly.

"Fuck if it ain't," the hanyou growled.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, his brother's crudeness never failed to offend him. If their father hadn't been nearly as foul-mouthed himself, Sesshomaru would have thought it came from Inuyasha's filthy human blood. Not that it mattered; he was not here to trade insults with the half-demon.

Tenseiga had compelled him here and now his nose told him exactly why. The stench of sickness lingered over the village, mixing with the other foul smells of human habitation. The demon lord's eyes flicked around, sensing the anxiety and fear of the villagers. And she was in that hut, with her dying brother. He knew why he was here now.

Sango and Kaede heard the commotion outside and rushed to the door of the hut. Sango's heart leapt inside her, filled with relief and pleasure at the sight of the youkai lord's face. "Sesshomaru-sama," she breathed.

Kaede looked askance at the young woman, sensing something unusual in the girl's tone. "You know this youkai?"

Sango nodded, unable to look away from Sesshomaru. "He's Inuyasha's older brother and the one who saved Kohaku from Naraku."

_He's more than that to you_, Kaede thought. Years had taught her the ability to read a person's body language and Sango's stance had nothing to do with gratefulness for a youkai's whim. _This complicates matters_, she thought, watching Sango's face. _She greets the demon as a woman greets a lover, not an enemy or even an ally of uncertain loyalty. What a strange turn of events_.

Sesshomaru looked up at her impassively. "The boy has taken ill," he said simply, his voice empty of emotion.

She nodded, coming closer. "He is out of his head with a fever. Have you come to help him?" Sango felt a soft smile breaking over her face, sure that there was nothing that her lover couldn't do, nothing he couldn't make right again. Hadn't he already taken Kohaku from the jaws of death once? Hadn't he taught her blood to burn for him?

"I have not come to heal him," Sesshomaru said in a dry, offhand tone. "I have come to take him."

"What?" Inuyasha demanded. Sango felt the blood drain out of her face.

"Take him?" she murmured hesitantly. "Why?"

"It is no concern of yours," the demon said, casting an icy look at his brother before turning back to Sango. "If you wish for him to die, I will leave him here. The choice is yours."

Actually it wasn't quite that simple and he felt a small pulse from Tenseiga to underline that. He wasn't about to confess that fact to Sango or anyone else, it was disturbing for him to be robbed of his own volition when it came to Tenseiga. It wanted Kohaku, it wanted Kohaku with him, with it and he was sure the boy's fever had something to do with Tenseiga's power. Once back at the fortress, he had every intention of finding out why, but he'd be damned if he'd admit the katana was making him a puppet for its own devices.

"Sister," a voice said weakly. Kohaku was standing in the doorway of the hut, swaying on his feet. She whirled around and looked at him.

"You shouldn't be up," she told him. "Please Kohaku, I will handle this."

"No," he murmured, the fever gleam in his eyes dangerous. The boy staggered down the short stair, wobbling a bit. His bare feet dragged across the dirt, he seemed hardly conscious, moving like he was being pulled on strings. He reached Sesshomaru and dropped to his knees.

"Please, master," he murmured. "Take me with you."

"No!" Sango burst out. She was losing her brother again. "Why are you taking him, please don't take him!"

"I said, it is not your concern," Sesshomaru said fiercely, his eyes glinting slightly. "You forget your place, woman."

She dropped beside Kohaku, her arms going protectively around his shoulders. "Then take me with you," she begged. "I'll do whatever you want; I just don't want to lose my brother."

He glared at her. "I did not ask you what you wanted, exterminator. I will take your brother with me and you will stay here. That is my choice."

She shook her head, suddenly terrified for Kohaku. "I don't understand why you're doing this."

Sesshomaru looked away. "I do not explain my actions to anyone; it is simple enough for you to understand that is my will."

Sango stood up, dread covering her body. "No. Kohaku is my brother and where he goes, so will I."

"No."

"Damn you!" she screamed, launching herself at him. "You planned this from the beginning; I never should have trusted a youkai!"

He moved so fast that she never saw it. Sango found herself attacking empty air, tears running down her face. "You bastard."

"Pathetic mortal," Sesshomaru sneered, angry now at her accusations. As if he would stoop to play with humans if he had a choice about it. He could understand her anger, her mistrust. It mattered not, Tenseiga demanded this of him and he had no intention of bringing yet another human back to the fortress.

He gestured roughly at Kohaku. "On your feet, boy."

Sango hissed angrily and went to stand in front of her brother. A thin whip of green energy snapped and split the air in front of her face. She stopped, staring right into his implacable golden eyes. He'd do it, her body went cold with knowing, and he would kill her if she moved one more step.

"I see you comprehend," he murmured. The youkai lord made a single, graceful gesture and suddenly was gone, Kohaku gone too; both disappeared in a brief, intense flash of light.

Sango sank to her knees, shocked and wordless. He would have killed her if she'd made another move against him. She started to shake, realizing just how the demon lord had used her, toyed with her, taken her body for his own selfish pleasure and left her heart in shattered pieces.

_Kohaku_.

oOo

"Kohaku is gone? Sesshomaru took him away? Why?" Kagome was stunned, staring from Inuyasha to Miroku in surprise. "Neither of you tried to stop him?"

Miroku cleared his throat. "He said that if we wanted Kohaku dead, he'd leave him here. Kohaku seemed to want to go."

She shot an accusing glare at Inuyasha. "And that's it; he's just gone forever now? Why would Sesshomaru do that?"

He turned away. "I don't know. Maybe because he's a bastard. Why the fuck are you asking me?"

Sango listened to this exchange and wanted to run away. Her brother was gone, stolen by the same demon that she had offered herself to so shamefully. And he didn't want her anymore that was very clear also. His reasons, his purposes were unknown, she couldn't think of how she could go on. She couldn't sit there and listen to her friends anymore. The darkness that covered the village was like a burial shroud. Sango was suffocating.

"I'm going to take a walk," she muttered.

Kagome stared at her. "What? Alone? Sango, please, I'll go with you."

"I want to be by myself," she said, her breath coming out in stilted words. "Just leave me alone, okay? I need to think."

Kagome stood up to follow her and Inuyasha quickly reached up to stop her. She glared at the clawed hand on her arm. "Let her alone, Kagome," he said quietly. "You don't understand."

"And I suppose you do?"

He shrugged and looked away. "Better than you."

oOo

Sango's footsteps rustled in the forest, kicking up leaves and dirt. Her mind was in turmoil but she couldn't stop thinking about Sesshomaru. His face, his eyes, the way that whip had come inches from her face. _I'm a fool_, she thought. _I'm a fool who thought that son of a bitch might actually have a heart somewhere. He probably thought it was funny, see if he could get the stupid human to spread her legs and fall for a youkai_.

She stopped, something whispering in the back of her mind. She felt rooted to the spot, the hair on her neck rising with a terrible fear.

Hard claws dug into her neck and yanked her back, twisting her head as she was lifted off her feet and held by an iron muscled arm. She struggled, trying to breathe but the grip was too tight, and the clawed fingers like bands of steel around her throat.

"You defied me," Sesshomaru hissed. "I will not forgive you for that."

oOo

Inuyasha walked into the dark forest, scratching his head and scowling ferociously. This had been one shitty day, it had been a couple of shitty days and he was beginning to get a little pissed off about the whole fucking thing. First had been the whole mess with Kagome, he'd lost control, and he'd known that this was going to happen someday. Knowing it was inevitable didn't make it any easier for him to deal with. He'd hurt her, hurt her rather profoundly as he realized now.

"You're such an idiot," he muttered to himself. His nose continued to search the air, following Sango's scent. Kagome and Miroku were worried about her; she'd disappeared on her so-called walk a few hours ago and hadn't come back yet.

He snorted. Sango had a lot to think about; he tried to tell them to give her a little space, hoping when she came back she'd tell them in her own way what had really been going on.

"I can't just sit here, Inuyasha," Kagome said, her hands on her hips and her eyes practically snapping with dislike. Gods, he hated seeing that look on her face, he wished she'd just shut up and sit him a few times already to get the anger out of her system. Actually, it worried him a little more than he wanted to admit, the fact that he hadn't eaten dirt over it yet. He'd expected a sit that would take him days to recover from. Kagome hadn't said it; he'd seen her visibly restrain herself from using it.

_Come on, girl_, he thought to himself. _You know you're dying for a little payback_.

Miroku hadn't said a word to him about it; he didn't know how much the monk might have figured out by now, how much he'd guessed or how much Kagome might have let slip. What was annoying was the fact that Miroku had been grinning at him, Inuyasha had to restrain himself from wiping that little smirk off Miroku's face. What did that stupid fuck think he was doing, leering at him like that? Damn humans, always up his ass about something.

"Inuyasha, we need to find Sango. She's been gone too long and I'm worried that she might have gotten into trouble."

He glared at the monk. "You think she's trying to follow Sesshomaru? Alone and on foot? Get your head outta your ass, Miroku. Sango's upset, but she's not crazy."

Kagome rubbed her face with her hands, looking tired and depressed. "I'm going after her. I'll find her myself if you won't help look for her."

"I didn't say that," he burst out, looking at their faces. "You think you can track her in the woods, in the dark?"

"What choice do we have?" Miroku said quietly. He reached down and picked up Shippou. The fox had been extremely quiet since they'd returned to the village, worried about Kohaku and now worried about Sango. He'd hid from sight when Sesshomaru had made his appearance; it was no secret that the youkai lord scared the daylights out of the tiny kitsune.

It was just natural and Inuyasha thought Shippou had nothing to be embarrassed about. That was survival instinct at its finest, a small demon like Shippou should have the instinct to run and flee from a daiyoukai. Shippou had learned survival at a young age, watching his father being butchered by stronger, sadistic demons.

As if he could read Inuyasha's mind, the kitsune twitched and jumped into Kagome's arms. "I don't want you to go alone," he sniffed, holding tight to Kagome. "What if you don't come back?"

Her face softened. "I'm not going to go alone, Shippou. Nothing is going to happen to me."

She could tell the kitsune was desperately upset over Kohaku. The girl looked at the ground; her face was still a little tense although she continued to stroke Shippou's hair in a soothing manner. "We can't find her in the dark," she said slowly, raising her eyes to look at Miroku thoughtfully. "And we can't leave her out there. Inuyasha should go find her."

"I should?" he asked suspiciously_. Damn it, Kagome, look at me if you're talking to me_. She decidedly wouldn't look at him and her voice was distant and chill.

"You can find her in the dark. I can't. Miroku can't. You should go find her."

_Damn you all to hell anyway,_ he thought, kicking a helpless tree root to vent a little anger. _Order me around like I'm your fucking lap dog, I don't fucking think so!_ And here he was, in the woods and searching. Sango hadn't made any attempt to hide her trail at least. Inuyasha figured he'd find her sitting by herself, probably crying. Gods above, he hated it when they cried. Females that is, it made him uncomfortable as hell and he didn't know what to do and just had to stand there like a big stupid oaf and hope it ended soon.

It wasn't that he didn't feel sorry for Sango. Her little brother was the most important thing in the world to her; it would utterly destroy her to lose him again. _You fucking prick_, he swore at Sesshomaru. _What kind of game are you playing with them?_ His brother was being a complete bastard…that much was obvious.

Maybe he should have tried to stop him from taking off with Kohaku. He would have, he almost did in fact, but he believed the son of a bitch when he said that Kohaku was going to die if he was left there. Believed it right down to his bones, he who didn't trust a freaking word that came out of Sesshomaru's mouth and didn't trust his intentions either.

As soon as his brother had shown up, Inuyasha had felt a strange pull, a weird alien longing. He paid it no attention, if an instinct wasn't telling him to fight or flee; he didn't give it much importance. Now in the dark and sniffing his way after a confused and hurting demon exterminator, he let himself think about it. It seemed to radiate from Sesshomaru, but it didn't have the bitter tang that he associated with his brother's power. It was familiar, that longing, and he shook his head violently to clear it.

Hell, it wasn't his job to figure it out. He had more important things to think about. When he caught up with Sango, he was going to chew her ass about the position she'd put herself in, and therefore him in, since he knew what was going on.

It would have been so simple to scream it at Kagome and Miroku. _You nose-blind fools, she's been fucking Sesshomaru, that's why she's upset. He's been rutting her in the woods and now she's freaking out because he took her little brother away. That's why she needs some space to think, she let that bastard use her and now look what it got her_.

Inuyasha felt a grin flash over his face when he thought about their shocked and disbelieving expressions. That would have been so satisfying; to watch their mouths drop open in surprise while he stood there with a smug look and told them about how he'd warned her not to do it, not to trust the fucking prick. And then Kagome would probably sit him right into hell itself for not telling them earlier, but at least she'd forget about why she was pissed off at him.

Or would she? Inuyasha hesitated, he wasn't entirely sure she would. The memory of her soft skin was nagging at him, the taste of her nipples as he'd run his tongue over them was going to keep him up at night, in more ways than one.

_Stupid girl_, he thought to himself. _I didn't mean it that way; I should have just kept my fucking mouth shut_.

Now she looked at him like he was some kind of animal. The looks she gave him were truly angry. _Keep your filthy claws off of me_, they seemed to say.

_Fine_, he thought back at her. _It won't happen again_.

He still wanted to say he was sorry. Sorry he lost control, sorry he threw himself all over her for those brief, hot moments of unthinking desire. Sorry he'd said the wrong thing, sorry she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. She wasn't Kikyou, he didn't want her to be Kikyou, but he could apologize until he was blue in the face and she'd still only hear what she wanted to hear.

How could he ever explain to her that it was his fault that Kikyou had gotten killed? That he'd known that she was starting to fall in love with him and he knew what was happening. Deep down in that dark demon soul of his he'd known all along that it was going to make her vulnerable. And still he hadn't gone away, he'd kept sniffing around that fucking village after Kikyou because it was the first time in a very, very long time that someone had looked at him without some kind of fear or threat.

And he'd decided that he wanted her. She was too powerful to steal the jewel from, but she was human and a desirable woman. When she'd started to make those first, hesitant overtures of friendship toward him, he'd jumped at the chance to get inside her defenses.

Inuyasha found he was purely disgusted with himself. His desire for Kikyou had been her undoing and his as well. He hated being reminded he had anything in common with Naraku, how was he any better when it came down to it? _Not this time_, he told himself sternly. Better that she was angry with him, better that she thought he was a bastard. He was safer that way and so was she.

His head snapped up, his mind pulled away from its dark distractions. He'd found Sango. The exterminator's scent drew the hanyou to a small clearing. The full moon had just risen over the treetops by now and the scene was clearly bathed in the soft radiant light. Sango was lying on the ground, curled into a small, defensive ball, shivering naked in the cool night air.

"Oh...shit," he breathed, kneeling next to her. He touched her shoulder and she flinched slightly, unconscious. He didn't need her awake to tell him what had happened, his nose told him everything he needed to know and Inuyasha felt a cold fury rising in his chest.

"You heartless bastard," he whispered. "Sango, can you hear me?"

She didn't respond, still shivering slightly. With gentleness he was not known for possessing, Inuyasha gathered the girl's body into his arms and lifted her. He forgot about his own problems for the moment, all thoughts of berating Sango for her stupidity vanished.

He'd wondered if Sesshomaru would have answered Sango's defiance. Inuyasha hadn't been sure, watching Sango fly at his brother in anger, trying to attack him. Sesshomaru was hard to read at the best of times, the icy mask he wore in place of normal expression always made it impossible to tell what the bastard was really thinking.

He had to get her cleaned up; she wouldn't want anyone to see her like this. He didn't think she was injured from the looks of it; his brother hadn't beaten or tortured her. Inuyasha's face flushed suddenly, whatever had happened, he didn't want the details. He knew where a small spring shot off from the nearby river that would be a good place to take her.

Sango's eyes opened when Inuyasha set her gently down on the grass. She was confused, she didn't know where she was and then a cool, wet touch on her forehead made her jerk in surprise. She looked over at him. "Inuyasha?"

"It's me," he said softly. "Are you okay, did he hurt you?" She looked over at the hanyou and found that she could sit up on her own. Then she realized she was stark naked and covered her breasts with her arms. He didn't seem to notice her embarrassment and sat regarding her seriously.

"You…didn't happen to see my clothes, did you?"

He held a wad of fabric in his claws. "Yeah, here. Sorry they're wet, I didn't have anything else to use."

She pulled her torn yukata around her shoulders. "You came looking for me."

Inuyasha snorted. "Kagome insisted. She was worried about you. She was right to be worried."

Sango felt tears welling up in her eyes. "It's all my fault," she muttered. "I shouldn't have..."

Her voice trailed off and Inuyasha looked away, uncomfortable. "Sango, you don't have to tell me, I can guess."

She shook her head. "You'd guess wrong."

She'd been sure she was about to die, Sesshomaru's hand on her throat squeezed so tight that Sango saw stars. She could feel anger radiating off his body in a thick cloud of malice. _Oh dear gods_, she thought. _What is he going to do to Kohaku?_

Sesshomaru suddenly released her, sending her flying to the ground where she caught herself hard on her hands. She turned around and glared up at him. "Where is my brother? What have you done to him?"

His eyes glittered angrily at her. "You should be more concerned with what I'm going to do to you." His annoyance was reaching a dangerous level, the look her turned on her was scalding. "How dare you question me?"

Sango grit her teeth as she stood up, facing Sesshomaru without a hint of the fear she felt clenched in her heart. "What am I supposed to think?" she spat back furiously. "My brother is sick, he needs me!"

Sesshomaru cocked his head to the side, an implacable look in his golden eyes. "You can do nothing for him. Kohaku's fate is not to be decided by you."

Her heart filled with fury at his words. "He's my brother, you bastard. I know you don't feel emotions like love or compassion, I understand that all too well. Kohaku is all I have left of my family. I'm not going to lose him!"

Sango's feet left the ground at that moment and she felt herself propelled back into a tree. She struggled to free herself but Sesshomaru pinned her easily. His eyes bore into hers and she stopped fighting, feeling like a helpless creature caught in a snare. His voice was low, deadly, the threat as intimate and undeniable as the hard muscles of his body trapping hers.

"You belong to me. You have no say in the matter. I have chosen to take your brother under my protection for my own reasons."

"Let me go," she said in a tight voice, the strain almost palpable as she held her face away from his.

Smiling faintly, he was confident in his ability to quell her. "No."

He buried his hand in her hair and forced his mouth over hers, kissing her hard. Sango fought to breathe as his tongue invaded her mouth, every inch of her will fighting off the immediate weakness she felt as her body delighted at his touch.

Sesshomaru almost started laughing as he felt her melt into him. Such a responsive woman, she could have no idea how much her defiance had aroused him. He had been quite angry, how dared she defy him, dare to attack him, accuse him? Brave of her, foolishly so maybe, but he thought he had chosen well when he decided to take her for his own. And he meant to show her that she was still his, even through her anger, her mistrust and her fear, she was his when he wanted, where he wanted and she had by the gods never forget that again.

Sango moaned as his lips released hers to move down her neck, his sharp teeth grazed her skin, made her gasp and clutch at him. "No," she whispered as he lifted her up easily and braced her body against the tree. Her knees were clenched on either side of his hips and his breath came hot in her ear as he fumbled aside the clothing that separated them.

"You want this," he hissed at her, lips sliding possessively over her jaw. "You can't hide anything from me, I can hear your heart racing, and I can feel your blood burning. Do you deny it?"

"No," she answered, squeezing her eyes shut as the intensity of his gaze make her faint. His hand came up and clamped onto her chin, digging into the soft skin of her face.

"No, what?"

"No, Sesshomaru-sama," she gasped, her hands digging into his long hair.

"Look at me," he demanded.

She opened her eyes and became lost in him, feeling the hard pressure of him between her legs. He didn't drop his eyes from hers as he shoved her brutally against the tree, feeling the slick hotness of her taking him inside, welcoming him. She cried out as he threw himself into her with fierce, dominating thrusts that threatened to split her in two and tear the tree from the ground.

Her eyes fluttered shut as passion overwhelmed her and she felt his claws dig into her throat again. "Don't close your eyes," he said roughly. "Look at me when I tell you to, don't close your eyes to me!"

He'd never felt such satisfaction with a woman before, the depth and honest response in her lovely eyes made him thoroughly lose control and Sesshomaru found himself growling like a common youkai as he held the girl, her sweet voice calling out to him like she was drowning and only he could save her.

He wanted her to look at him as he knew that his face was changing, his eyes starting to glow from within, the wild youki rising up in his body and his features shifted into the inhuman demon that lived within his usual icy countenance. He wanted her to see what really possessed her, what she was giving herself to so wantonly. She couldn't deny to herself that is was a demon that was driving himself between her legs so mercilessly. Her scent changed and Sesshomaru grinned at her, long fangs shining in the darkness.

Sango dug her hands into his shoulders, wild and feral herself and finally came with a scream. He shuddered, sinking into her, following her down to where the depths of passion had devastated her. Sweat was sticking them together, her hair was matted with it and tears were sliding down her face.

He held her tight around her waist with his arm as he backed them away from the tree, lowering a breathless Sango to the ground. She lay before him, panting, her body glowing with heat and sweat, her breasts heaving as she fought to get more oxygen into her lungs. Her legs were shaking and she couldn't have stood up if she'd tried. Sango put her trembling hands up to wipe the sweaty hair out of her eyes and looked up at her lord and lover.

Sesshomaru gazed down at her, his own pale skin flushed as he shrugged away the rest of his clothing. She stared at him as he came for her, grabbing her roughly and lifting her hips to meet his.

"Again."


	6. Six

_**Chapter Six**_

Miroku's expression was thoughtful as he walked through the forest. It had been a quiet day, nothing more exciting than helping Kaede with a couple of ailing villagers. He didn't mind very much, one of the old women had a lovely young granddaughter. Her grateful smile had lightened his heart for a few moments and he found himself watching her as she hurried to make tea for Kaede and himself.

Mentally, he gave himself a boot as soon as he realized he was considering asking the sweet-faced girl his favorite question, she was far too young and Kaede would likely think him the worst kind of pervert.

Too late, she'd already noticed the direction of his gaze. "Houshi-sama!" she said in a disapproving tone. He blinked at her, casting the innocent mask back onto his face. Miroku grinned. Too young for now, but the lovely thing about girls was that they would blossom into women. No matter, he had more important things to worry about.

Kagome had left for her homeland two days ago and he had to admit he felt a sense of relief. If the tension between her and Inuyasha got any worse, he was thinking of going down that well himself. Difficult to travel with a pair that couldn't seem to get along without arguing most days, far worse when the same two weren't speaking at all.

He actually preferred the arguments, they added a certain sense of continuity to his days and he had to admit, he never got tired of watching Kagome put the sit on Inuyasha. It puzzled him that she hadn't done it recently, but obviously there was more going on than a simple monk understood.

Inuyasha seemed relieved that Kagome had left, he'd been looking a might harried and stressed these days. Miroku had an idea of why, but for the life of him he didn't understand why the stupid dog didn't just go find himself an agreeable demon female if Kagome had rejected him. He didn't think Inuyasha was innocent of what males and females were supposed to do with each other and finding a way to relieve the tension seemed like a simple enough concept. He was frustrated himself, but you didn't see him tearing around the village and barking at people for no reason.

Not that he hadn't thought about it.

Miroku decided he was still a little depressed over Sango's quiet rejection. He was seriously going to miss teasing the exterminator, whether or not she'd have ever taken him up on his offer was only part of the appeal. He sighed, scratching absently at the back of his neck. It made no sense to him, but something had changed between them.

He looked into his rosary bound hand. "You are the cause of this," he admonished mildly. Of course, traveling with two extremely attractive and unavailable women wasn't exactly helping either. Especially when said females seemed to disapprove heartily of any attempt to find friendlier companionship. He sympathized the half-demon. Cold uptight bitches indeed.

He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard Inuyasha's voice raised up in a strident question. "Sango, why the hell not?"

"I'm not ready. I don't know what to say!" Miroku hurried over to where the sounds were coming from, his ears already starting to twitch. Something was going on and maybe this would be the time he'd find out what. He leaned against a tree trunk, hoping the hanyou was too distracted to notice his presence. It was pure hell trying to sneak up on a half-demon.

Miroku sank silently to the ground and used a single finger to move aside a cover of leaves. He could just see Inuyasha's bright red clothing through the thick brush. "I don't give a fuck if you aren't ready. You should have thought about that earlier. I'm tired of lying."

Lying about what? Miroku chewed on his lower lip. Falsehood was hardly Inuyasha's strong point but what could he have to lie about for Sango?

The girl's voice was so soft he had to strain himself to overhear. "I'm not asking you to lie. It's just I don't know how Kagome and Miroku will feel. It's going to be shock."

The hanyou made a disparaging sound. "I don't care what they think."

"That's you, I care about it. If we don't tell them in the right way, they'll just think the worst of both of us."

Hmmm? Miroku frowned, this wasn't making any sense. What could those two be up to that they don't want to talk about?

"Are you ashamed?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

Sango didn't answer immediately, Miroku waited several heartbeats to catch her reply. "I'm...I'm not ashamed."

"Then what is it?"

Miroku thought he'd never heard such a gentle tone from the hanyou. He heard Sango sigh softly. "Inuyasha, it's like you said earlier. I'm a demon exterminator, I'm supposed to hunt and kill youkai, not go to bed with them."

Miroku's eyebrows shot up in surprise. _Did I just hear what I think I heard? No, I've got to be wrong about this_.

Inuyasha's soft chuckle made him sit up straighter. He had to see their faces to see if he really was hearing what he thought he'd heard.

"Okay, Sango. I promised I'd wait until you were ready to tell them so I will. It was easier to keep quiet when I thought it was just a one-time thing, but I guess it's not going to be that way, is it?"

_No way_, Miroku thought furiously, feeling a tingle of jealousy. _He did not just say that, he did not just say that!_ Sango replied in a soft, intimate tone Miroku had never heard before and the monk felt his heart drop into his stomach like a ball of ice and sharp glass.

"I don't know how to thank you for being so patient with me."

Inuyasha laughed again, Miroku could hear the smirk in his voice. "Don't worry. I'll think of a way you can pay me back."

They drifted away and he sat still at the base of the tree. He couldn't deny the truth and felt a little pang like the blade of a knife slipping into him. It was quite obvious that Sango and Inuyasha were lovers. That had to be the cause of the tension between the half-demon and Kagome. The girl had finally worked up her courage to offer herself to him and he had rejected her.

Miroku kicked himself for not seeing the truth sooner, but all the confusion regarding Kohaku had distracted him, kept him from reading the signs. Kagome was probably still ignorant of what had been happening right under their noses. Miroku finally stood up, dusting the leaves and dirt off his robes.

Kagome deserved the truth, whatever the outcome.

oOo

Sango was dreaming about Kohaku, he was lost and she couldn't find him. Desperate, she ran through the deep darkness of the forest, calling out his name. The harder she ran, the louder she yelled, the darker the forest became. Eventually it felt like she was running in place, lost in the blackness and felt herself becoming overwhelmed by despair.

_Trust me_.

Her eyes opened suddenly and Sango felt to become herself quite calm. The panic of the dream was receding quickly and the exterminator stared up at the star-filled sky. Longing for her brother filled her heart. _Where are you now, Kohaku? Is he taking care of you, are you feeling better? I want to know, but at the same time, I'm afraid I'll hate what I find out_.

_Trust me_.

Just before he'd left her, exhausted and spent on the forest floor, the youkai had leaned close, his lips brushing her ear. Sango closed her eyes again and shivered, even the memory of his mouth so close to her made her tremble. How could she trust him when she didn't even know him? She couldn't trust her own feelings; even her own body had turned on her. Trust him? She hardly had any choice about it. Kohaku was gone, Sesshomaru refused to so much as hint about why he had taken the boy away.

Sango reached out her arms and stretched sensuously, rolling over to snuggle her face tight into her blankets. If that was the demon's idea of punishing her for defying him, she hoped she'd have more opportunities to do just that.

She flushed, embarrassed by her own thoughts. What the hell was wrong with her these days? She'd been in a dead panic at losing Kohaku and now all she wanted to do was lay here and think about how Sesshomaru made her feel when he touched her. Her little brother could be in danger; she had no way of knowing what the demon's plans for Kohaku were.

_Trust me_.

_Oh, damn you anyway_, the girl thought, scowling to herself. It was going to be a long night.

oOo

The boy's eyes opened slowly, blinking against the sunshine that was pouring into the room from the open window. Kohaku thought he could smell flowers and for the first time in what seemed like forever, a sensation of peacefulness filled his young body. He didn't hurt, not anywhere, and it had been such a long time since he could say that.

A small face pushed itself into view and Kohaku started, almost reaching up to defend himself from this stranger. Only he recognized her a moment later and a happy toothy grin was her response to his wide-eyed stare.

"Kohaku-kun," the girl squealed. "You're finally awake!"

"R...Rin?" he asked, stammering a bit. He remembered this girl, he remembered a voice inside his head, instructing him to kill her, slit her throat, cut her up. He shook off the memory with a sudden chill. "What are you doing here?"

That made the girl laugh, she looked so happy he found himself smiling back at her. "Rin lives here," she said, her eyes dancing. "Kohaku can live here too and be friends now!"

He sat up, looking around him in confusion. He was in a small, somewhat plain room. The furniture seemed to be of good quality but there wasn't much in the way of decoration. It was also spotlessly clean. He didn't recognize this place at all and wondered where his sister was.

"Okay, Rin, then what am I doing here? Where am I?"

She danced around the room, full of exuberant energy. "I told you, this is where I live." The girl turned back to him, a serious look on her face. "I'm glad you're feeling better, you seemed to be really sick when Sesshomaru-sama brought you home."

Kohaku froze, staring at the young girl in shock. "Sesshomaru-sama? He brought me here?" This was bad; he didn't remember the demon taking him anywhere. "Rin, this is important. Where is my sister? Have you seen her?"

Rin shrugged, fiddling with the bed covers. "Rin doesn't know," she said softly. "Sesshomaru-sama was alone when he came with you. He told me to let you sleep until you weren't sick anymore. I've been waiting for you for four whole days."

Four days? He was out of it for four days? Kohaku shoved the blankets off his legs and tried to get out of bed. His knees were awfully weak and all he wore was a light-sleeping robe. "Do you know what they did with my clothes?"

"Your clothing was thrown out, it was filthy," a voice said from the doorway.

Kohaku spun around, trying not to wobble too much. A pretty woman with braided dark hair was giving him a mischievous look. In her hands was a tray that held a few dishes. A wonderful smell was coming from the bowl and Kohaku's stomach woke up and let him know that it hadn't eaten recently.

"Who are you, ma'am?"

She smiled at him, showing pearly fangs. "Well, a human with manners. How nice to see that. Rin's a right little barbarian."

"Rin is not a barbarian," the little girl said loftily. "Rin is a very polite child and does so have manners."

The woman snorted in amusement. "Not to hear Sesshomaru-sama tell it. You've been a brat since you got here. Nothing I've done or anyone else has done has changed that."

Kohaku stared at her. "You're a youkai."

She settled on the edge of the bed and arranged the tray neatly in front of her. "How observant you are," she said pleasantly. "Why don't you sit back down, young human? You have to be starving. I didn't know humans could survive fevers that high, but you're obviously tougher than you look."

He wasn't going to move without answers. "Who are you? I don't remember how I got here. Where's my sister...did he take her too?"

"I am Makiko and I'm in charge of getting you healthy again. I also have the doubtful honor of trying to keep Rin out of trouble when Sesshomaru-sama is in residence. Do all humans ask this many questions?" The young woman gestured at him again. "Please sit down and eat, Kohaku. You'll catch chill if you keep standing there."

His legs were getting cold so Kohaku did as he was asked and got back into the warm bed. "Does my sister know where I am?"

Makiko didn't meet his eyes, looking away from him placidly. "I have no way of knowing that. As I said before, you were very ill, delirious in fact. The lord doesn't keep me informed as to his reasons and it is considered impolite to ask such things."

Kohaku tried the soup. It was very tasty and warmed him from the inside out. He hoped there'd be more of it. "I don't remember anything; the last thing Sango told me was that we were going back to Kaede's village to see if she could treat my fever. I don't know why I'm here."

He looked up and met the woman's gaze. "Sesshomaru-sama scares me."

"Then you are wise, young human." Makiko stood up and took his now empty bowl. "I'll bring you more to eat in a few hours, when you're ready for it. Don't let Rin talk you into getting out of bed before you're ready. She's a devilish child and has no compassion for anyone who doesn't share her outlandish energy."

Rin leaned over to him conspiratorially. "She's not normally so cranky, but she's been sitting up with you for the past few days and I think she needs a nap."

oOo

Kagome stood up and looked at her companions. "I can't take it anymore. I need a bath and I need to wash my hair."

The past two days had been uneventful. She and Inuyasha had settled on not speaking to each other about anything other than the weather. So far, the tension between them was still evident. Kagome decided she wasn't about to forgive him for what he did or what he said. Even when she was at home, she found herself thinking about it.

"Who the hell does he think he is?" she said aloud, forgetting that she was walking to class with her friends.

Eri shot a knowing look to the other girls. "Here she goes again, talking to herself about her boyfriend."

Kagome stopped and caught the girl with a glare that would have made a youkai cringe. "He is not my boyfriend. Don't you ever refer to him as that again. I hate him, I hate everything about him!"

The girls looked startled. "Don't tell me, you had another fight?" Yumi asked uncertainly. Kagome's expression was pretty scary. "Did you catch him cheating on you again?"

Kagome held her temper, trying to remind herself that they were just asking a simple question. "No. It wasn't like that. We just..." She became aware that they were staring at her with rapt expressions. _I can't tell them, what would they say? That I let him put his hands all over me and worse, and then he tells me I'm not Kikyou and it's wrong? They'll tell me I got what I deserved for ever putting up with the two-timing jerk in the first place_.

"Was it something he did?" Eri asked eagerly.

"Was it something he said?" Yumi chimed in.

Kagome flushed, embarrassed. "It was kind of both," she confessed. Maybe they would understand.

"Did he kiss you?" they asked. Kagome smiled shyly.

Eri and Yumi grabbed her hands. "Did he put his tongue in your mouth?"

"He didn't kiss me on my mouth," Kagome said softly. The girls' eyes went so wide she was afraid they'd pop out of their sockets.

"Kagome!"

She glared at them and they shrank back again. "Don't look at me like that! You don't understand, it just happened. It wasn't like I planned it!"

"Oh my god, Kagome," Yumi said, her expression shocked and a little impressed. "How far did you go?"

"Not far enough," she whispered, looking down at the ground. Her friends stood silently, sensing for the first time that Kagome was really upset; this wasn't a normal fight at all.

"What then?" Eri said in a tiny voice.

"He...he stopped. He said it was wrong because I wasn't...her."

The other girls drew in breaths of horror. "Oh no, his ex-girlfriend? Oh Kagome..."

"It's okay," she said, forcing the cheery look back on her face. "I'm fine, really. I've just decided that it wasn't going to work out anyway and if he's still that hung up on her." Her friends blinked at Kagome's harsh tone. "Then he should just go find her and they can be really happy together in hell."

"Wow, you're really fed up with him, aren't you?" Yumi murmured. They had no way of knowing how literally Kagome meant her words.

_Then why am I back here again?_ Kagome looked over at Inuyasha and he pointedly looked away. _Fine_. "Well, I'm going to take a bath, there's a beautiful hot spring nearby and we were going to stop soon anyway. Sango, did you want to join me?"

Sango grinned. "Yes, I think a hot bath sounds wonderful too."

Kagome dug her shampoo and a towel from her backpack. Shippou jumped up and clung to her leg. "Me too! I want to take a bath, see how dirty my tail is?"

She brushed him gently aside. "No, Shippou. You can take a bath later. I'll even wash your hair for you. Right now, you need to stay here and make sure the pervert doesn't peep at us."

Miroku shook his head. "I resent that."

She tossed him a casual look over her shoulder. "What makes you think I'm talking about you?" She paused and the monk started to grin widely. "Keep your distance just the same."

Inuyasha turned and watched the girls make their way into the trees. "Did she just call me a pervert?"

Miroku gave the hanyou a cool glance. "I believe she did."

Inuyasha scowled and muttered something rude under his breath. The monk ignored him and stretched out on the ground. He was a little tired as his recent discovery had been keeping him awake at night. He'd been watching Inuyasha and Sango together and thought that they were certainly doing a good job of keeping their secret. Not a hint of previous intimacy showed in their interactions, if anything Miroku would say that they were treating each other with an even greater casualness.

It didn't make sense to him, had he been so lucky as to have charmed Sango into his arms, he'd make sure the universe knew about it.

oOo

Lowering herself into the steaming water, Sango let out a sigh of pure bliss. She felt the tension in her muscles evaporate and leaned back to let herself completely relax. Beautiful. She heard similar sounds coming from Kagome and opened her eyes to smile at her friend.

Kagome splashed around for a few moments, getting her shampoo and soap ready. She lathered her hair, sighing to herself and scrubbing her scalp. It felt so good. Sango watched her, noticing the still slightly unhappy turn of her mouth.

"Kagome, can I ask you something?"

The girl ducked under the water, shaking her head to rinse her thick hair thoroughly. Heavenly hot springs aside; it was work to get her hair really clean when she didn't have water pressure. She popped back up gasping. "Of course, Sango. You can ask me anything."

"What happened between you and Inuyasha?"

Kagome gulped. "What are you talking about?"

Sango watched as the girl's face turned red and knew it had nothing to do with the heat of the water. "Come on Kagome, you two have been sniping at each other for over a week. Do you want to talk about it?"

She twisted her washcloth in her hands, knew she was blushing hard and didn't know what to say. "I'm not sure. It's kinda embarrassing. We had an argument and he told me that since I'm not Kikyou, it was wrong for us to ever..."

Sango blinked at her. "That's all?"

"Isn't that enough? I'm so sick of being compared to her I can't stand it, Sango. You'd think after everything we've been through together, he'd see me as myself, as Kagome, not just her copy, not just as someone who wasn't Kikyou."

Sango leaned her head on her arm, letting the warm water wash over her skin. "That's rough, Kagome. He cares about you, he's just an idiot."

"I'm not so sure," Kagome murmured softly. "Maybe it's not just that, maybe it really is me. For all I know, Kikyou is just an excuse to keep away from me."

"Don't say that," Sango said seriously. "Inuyasha is difficult at the best of times, but you're important to him. And not because you're Kikyou's reincarnation either. He probably can't even admit it to himself; the guy has some serious problems with trusting people. He'll come around eventually."

Kagome grinned at her. "I can't believe you're defending him. How many times have you told me not to put up with his attitude?"

Sango reached for the shampoo and started to work on her own hair. "I just don't like to see either of you suffering like this. When are you going to get around to forgiving him? Even if he did say something that stupid, it's sure as hell not the first time."

Kagome ducked under the water again so she wouldn't have to answer that question. _I do want to forgive him. I want to stop being angry_, she thought to herself. _I can't blame Inuyasha, not entirely. I was doing everything I could to encourage him, but I have to admit I'm probably not ready either. Maybe he sensed it and that's why he stopped when he did. Could he have thought I was teasing him somehow?_

Kagome surfaced again, floating over to sit next to Sango. "I know. I'll get over being mad, I always do. Thanks for talking with me about it, you're like the big sister I always wished I had."

The exterminator laughed, rinsing out her hair. "I'm glad I could help. Don't worry about it so much, you two will eventually get it all sorted out."

Kagome was about to reply when she noticed a dark mark on Sango's left breast. A slightly circular bruise, just like a bite mark. "Where did you get that?" she asked, pointing to the purplish coloration.

Sango looked down and blushed hard. He'd bitten her, not hard enough to break the skin, but still enough to leave evidence.

"I don't know where I got it," she lied.

Kagome moved closer. "How could you not know you got bit there?" The bruise was flush against the curve of her breast, an unusually intimate place for an injury. She studied the mark, aware that Sango had become tense and felt her friend's discomfort increase.

"I just don't remember, maybe I ran into something," the exterminator said tersely.

Kagome shook her head. "No, it looks like a bite. I can see teeth marks."

She turned away, covering her chest with her arms. "I'm fine, don't worry about it." Sango moved out of the hot spring, reaching for her clothes. Kagome watched her dress hurriedly and disappear into the trees before starting to climb out of the water herself.

Kagome toweled her hair, frowning slightly as she tried to figure out when they'd been fighting anything that would leave a bruise like that. It did look like teeth marks; she could clearly see the outline of fangs. But why would Sango hide something like that? Unless she really didn't want her to know who or what had bitten into her with such aggressive fanged teeth.

She stopped suddenly, a strange expression on her face. She only knew of one person, one demon that had teeth shaped like that. She'd felt them herself. She knew who could have had the opportunity to get that close to Sango without question and Kagome sank down to the ground in shock.

Sango had looked embarrassed; Sango didn't want to talk about it, turning away from her with her face flushed like Kagome had asked her about her most intimate secret. Her hands were trembling and Kagome was finally making sense of the situation. Maybe it wasn't Kikyou he'd been thinking about after all.

"Inuyasha, you son of a bitch!"


	7. Seven

_**Chapter Seven**_

Kagome's fist plowed into his face and Inuyasha stood stock still, glaring at her. She hit him; the wench had actually hit him. And hard too, he tasted a hint of blood in his mouth where her fist had connected with his lip. Her fist came at him again and this time he caught it easily in his own hand.

"You mind telling me what I did to deserve that?"

"Don't act like you don't know!" Kagome was fuming, angrier than he'd ever seen her. She yanked herself away from him, her knuckles hurt where they'd rammed into his jaw but she wasn't about to show it. She was too angry to use the incantation; it felt much better actually striking him. She wanted to do it again, there was no other way she could alleviate the pain and betrayal that was seething inside her.

Inuyasha found he wasn't mad, not exactly. He was surprised as hell and confused; Kagome was usually about as non-violent as any human he'd ever seen. She had reappeared after her bath, hair still streaming wet down her back, stomped over to him and announced in a loud voice that they had to talk. Right now.

He'd shrugged, agreed mildly, ignored the strange looks from Sango and Miroku and followed the girl into the forest. He thought that maybe she'd finally come to her senses and decided to forgive him for the other day, but oh no, the next thing he saw was a tiny fist heading his way. He licked his lips; she sure had a good punch for such a little thing.

"Kagome, if you're going to try to hit me again, I'm just going to leave. You can talk to me after you calm the fuck down."

"Calm down?" she snarled. "You think I'm stupid don't you?"

Well, how was he supposed to answer that? An affirmative would get him hit again; a negative would probably lead to a screaming match. "Stupid about what?"

Kagome bristled at him. "You think I'm so stupid I can't tell what's going on right in front of me. You think you can just play around with my feelings and I'll never catch on to what you're really up to. I'm sick of it. I want the truth from you, Inuyasha, or I swear I'm going to go home and never come back!"

He scratched his head, purely befuddled by her anger and her threat. "Is this about Kikyou again?" She flew at him in a rage, scratching for his eyes. He jumped away, trying to keep a step ahead of the enraged girl. Damn, but she was feisty today. He was too lost to get pissed off, she was really riled up about something and he finally caught her by the shoulders and stopped her before she hurt herself trying to attack him.

"Get your dirty hands off me," she screamed.

"Not until you tell me what you're so fucking pissed about," he shouted. She struggled against his hold and he shook her hard. "Answer me, Kagome. At least tell me what you think I did!"

She glared at him. "I know."

"You know what?"

Her hands clenched angrily. "All I ever wanted from you was for you to be honest. You couldn't even be that decent, could you? I've been wrong about you this whole time, Inuyasha. I thought that you cared enough about me, at least as a friend, to tell me the truth."

"The truth about what?" He dropped her suddenly and Kagome staggered, brushing away his hand when he tried to help her steady herself. Tears formed in her eyes and he was staring at her, mouth open in complete confusion. "What do you think I did?" he asked quietly.

She shook back her hair, sniffing as she wiped her nose on the back of her fist. "You should have told me about...about Sango."

"Sango?" he said hesitantly. "You know about it?"

Her lips started trembling slightly and she flushed and covered her face. "You don't have to hide it from me. I thought you would have told me what was going on; I thought you cared enough to do that."

Inuyasha couldn't believe she was taking it like this. What the hell was the matter with everyone these days? "Well, she didn't want you to know. I didn't think it was really your business anyway."

She spun around and hit him hard in the gut, hard enough to make him gasp and almost double over. "Do you think we could lose the violence already?" he snapped. "Why the fuck is it so important to you?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't believe you," she whispered. "How can you say that? You know how I feel and now you don't even have the decency to admit it. Do you really not care at all? After everything we've been through together?"

He was grasping at straws now, she was out of her loony little mind, and it had to be the stress. "Look," he said, forcing his voice to be gentle. "Maybe I should have told you, I wanted to tell both you and Miroku what was going on. I thought Sango should tell you in her own way, and she said she would, but I didn't think you'd freak out like this. Can't we just forget about it? Now that you know what's going on, we won't have to hide it anymore."

"I can't just forget about it," she said tearfully. "Not after what happened between us last week. Don't you know how awful I feel? You made me feel like you were just using me."

His face fell. "I did what? Goddamnit, what does that have to do with Sango? She wasn't there; she didn't have anything to do with it."

"That's not the point," she yelled, angry again. Kagome shook her finger in front of his nose. "You should have told me right then what was really going on instead of using Kikyou for an excuse. You're such an insensitive jerk!"

The tears on her face pulled at his heart. She thought it was just an excuse? She thought he was just using her? Gods, it hurt him to see how much she didn't trust him. "Kagome, about last week. I didn't mean to hurt you; I was just trying to protect us both. I let myself lose control."

"Is that what happened with Sango?" she asked, wiping her eyes and not looking at him.

"Hell, I don't know. I guess she wanted it, wasn't my place to tell her no."

"You bastard!"

This time it was the foot, she kicked him in the shins and he fell back, wincing. "Would you stop it already? Just fucking sit me and get over it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I'm sorry I lost control and jumped on you. Maybe I'm an idiot but it sure seemed like you wanted me too!"

"I did, you stupid ass! I wanted you to do it and I didn't want you to stop either. Maybe it wasn't the right time, but that doesn't mean that you can just treat me like dirt and throw me away when someone else comes along."

"When did I ever do that?" he demanded. He was staying out of striking range; if she wanted to hit him again she was going to have to sit him first to get that close. "Kagome, I would never throw you away. You might as well get used to Sango, I'm pretty sure it's going to be an on-going thing. I know you're mad at me for not telling you, but this doesn't have to change anything between us."

Her eyes went wide and Kagome threw back her head with an open, hurt, stunned expression. "You absolute pig. You think I'm going to…when you're still going to…how could you even think that? What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know, you're both females. I thought you two wouldn't have a problem with it."

"You sick pervert!" Kagome charged him suddenly, backing the startled hanyou right up against a tree. _She was damn fast too_, he thought, cringing away from the outraged girl. She grabbed his hair, twisting it brutally until he yelped.

"I don't know who you think you are, Inuyasha. You are out of your stupid head if you think you can screw both me and Sango at the same time and get away with it."

Huh? He pulled her hand out of his hair, losing no few strands as she didn't release her grip. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me!" Kagome shoved away from him. "If you're sleeping with Sango, fine. You just keep your damned hands off of me then!"

This wasn't happening. He didn't know whether to laugh out loud or fall apart from the surprise. She thought he was the one who was...oh this was just great.

"Just so I'm clear," he said harshly. "You think I'm fucking Sango."

"I know you are," she snapped, fury in her eyes. He wanted to laugh at her, but he was sure she would just kill him if he didn't clear this up first.

"That's why you're all pissed off, you think Sango and I are screwing each other silly in the woods and you think I'm scum because I didn't tell you about it."

"Yes!" she shouted, her hands curling into fists as she was dying to wipe the smirk of his bastard face. He didn't even have the decency to look ashamed of himself; he looked like he thought it was funny. Why couldn't he understand how badly this hurt her? How betrayed she felt?

"Okay," he said, rubbing his hands together like he was going to settle the matter. "If that's what you think is going on, I think you better tell that to Sango. I'm tired of covering for her ass anyway, it's about time we had this out in the open."

"It doesn't make any difference," she said darkly. "You go tell her yourself, I don't want to be anywhere near either of you."

"Really?" Inuyasha jumped at her so fast that Kagome couldn't defend herself or run away. He scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder, one clawed hand holding her legs trapped so they couldn't kick him in the teeth.

"Put me down, you pig!"

"Not until we settle this," he barked, wincing again as she beat him on the shoulders with her little fists. Such a damn spitfire, he swore one of these days they were going to have to do something about that temper.

"Fuck you!" she screeched.

"Yeah, well, fucking is what got everyone into this mess," he said lightly, starting to trot back to their camp. Oh, he couldn't stand it, couldn't wait to see the look on Kagome's face when Sango told her the truth. She'd better tell her the truth. He could feel Kagome's rage building inside her slight body, her muscles standing out from the tension. He liked having her over his shoulder like this, almost as much as he liked carrying her on his back with her legs tight around him.

"I'm going to say it," Kagome said in harsh, angry voice.

"Go right ahead," he said pleasantly. "As many times as you've made me eat the dirt, I think it's high time you had a taste of it yourself." She didn't reply, but he figured she was busy coming up with a suitable retort. She couldn't sit him while he was carrying her, couldn't and not get sat herself. He chuckled at his cleverness in subduing the angry girl. This was going to be fun.

Inuyasha burst out of the woods into the clearing where they'd made their camp, earning startled gazes from Shippou and Miroku. "Where's Sango?" he demanded, looking around. The exterminator was nowhere in sight.

Miroku raised an eyebrow at the hanyou's unusual burden. "She went to get some water for dinner. Dare I ask what you think you're doing?"

"He's being an ass," Kagome shouted. "Put me down!"

Inuyasha smirked. "Promise not to sit me?"

"No!"

"Then I'm not putting you down, bitch. We're waiting right here until Sango gets back. Then you can see what a damn fool you are."

The monk was frowning, getting to his feet. "What the hell are you two doing?"

Shippou dashed up Inuyasha's leg and buried his little claws in the half- demon's shoulder. "You better put her down!"

He swatted the kitsune away with an airy wave of his hand. "Settle down, Shippou. I'm not hurting her."

"Yes, you are!" Kagome growled. Inuyasha eased his grip on her, but wasn't fool enough to let go of her legs. Miroku walked around his back and stared at the girl.

"What's this all about, Kagome? You look...angry."

"I am angry, I'm really angry," she hissed. "You're going to be angry too. Do you know what's been going on around here?"

The monk looked away. "Between Inuyasha and Sango? Yes. I know about it."

"Hey!" Inuyasha whirled around to face Miroku. "Not you too!"

Miroku glared at him, his fingers tense on his staff as he regarded the hanyou. "Inuyasha," he said quietly. "I am aware that you and Sango have developed a...physical relationship. I don't disapprove. In fact, I congratulate you for being able to seduce her when I was not so lucky. I still think you should have been open with us about it, particularly after what happened with Kagome last week."

"How do you know about that?" Kagome demanded. "I didn't tell anyone. Inuyasha, you pig, you told him? Were you bragging about it? God, I hate you!"

"I didn't brag about anything," he yelled, looking at Miroku with stunned disbelief. "How did you know about that? What do you think is going on here anyway?"

Miroku looked at him with disgust and a touch of envy. "I think that you know what I mean. I don't know how long you and Sango have been lovers, but I think it's heartless of you to play with Kagome's emotions like this. Just rejecting her was cruel enough; she at least deserved an explanation."

"I didn't reject her!" Inuyasha said heatedly, his claws digging into Kagome's thighs.

"Watch it!" she snapped.

"Sorry," he hissed back, glancing over his shoulder.

Miroku frowned and rubbed his forehead. "You didn't reject her? You mean you've been having them both?" The mind boggled and Miroku shook off his disbelief and grinned at Inuyasha with pure, undisguised admiration. "You dog. I didn't know you had it in you."

"I don't have anything in me," he shouted, dropping Kagome to the ground with a thump. She glared up at him. "Don't you say it, bitch!"

"Um, am I interrupting something?" Sango stood at the end of the clearing, a bucket of water in her hands. Shippou let out a loud wail and ran over to her.

"Please say it's not true," the little kitsune begged. "Please say that you weren't mating with Inuyasha while he was supposed to be mating with Kagome. I'm so confused."

She dropped the bucket, splashing the fox with cold water and he let out a cry and ran to Kagome's side. "What?" She stared at her friends; Kagome's face was flushed and streaked with tears while she held tight to Shippou. Inuyasha looked angry enough to murder them all at the moment and Miroku; well quite frankly she'd never seen such a perverted smile on his face. She looked up and met Inuyasha's angry, embarrassed eyes.

"What in the world did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell them anything," he growled menacingly. "This is all your fault, bitch. Tell them we aren't fucking each other."

Miroku snorted condescendingly. "It's a little late now for falsehoods, my friend. You are well and truly caught. I overheard you myself."

"Oh, that is so disgusting, Miroku," Kagome said, scowling at the ground. "You spied on them while they were doing it. That's low even for you."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Not exactly what I meant, Kagome. I meant I overheard them discussing their relationship."

"You're a fucking liar!" Inuyasha shouted. "You come over here before you start telling lies about me, I'll knock your fucking teeth out!"

Miroku held out his staff to ward off the furious hanyou. "Don't deny it. Am I to understand that Sango was also not aware that you had been having sex with Kagome?"

"You did what?" Sango asked in shock.

"He did not," Kagome shouted angrily.

Sango looked at her. "Is this what you wanted to talk about? You and Inuyasha were having sex?"

"No," Kagome said hotly. "I didn't do anything like that. I wish I'd never met you!" Sango flinched and Kagome instantly regretted her words. "I'm...I'm sorry Sango. I didn't mean that."

"No, it's okay," the exterminator said wearily. "I think we all need to calm down. I haven't been having sex with Inuyasha. I don't know where you got such a crazy idea, but it's not true."

"See?" Inuyasha was vindicated. "I didn't do anything."

Miroku looked confused. "But I heard you talking about it. You told him not to tell us."

"And I saw that bruise on your breast," Kagome said, staring at her accusingly. "Don't tell me that wasn't a bite. I know fang marks when I see them."

Inuyasha's eyes shot over to Sango. "I didn't know about that. You two got a little wild the other night, didn't you?"

She flushed. "I thought I told you to mind your own business."

He grinned. "It became my business when everyone decided that I had to be the one screwing you. This is what you get for not listening to me about telling them what was going on."

"Are you saying you aren't involved with Inuyasha?" Kagome asked uncertainly.

Miroku looked over at her and shrugged helplessly. "Sango, what is going on? Is there someone we don't know about?"

"You know him," Inuyasha smirked. He folded his arms across his chest and couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face. This was going to be so good.

Sango cleared her throat. My, this couldn't have been any more humiliating. How could she explain what had happened? "Um, you're really not going to like this, but Inuyasha is telling the truth. I haven't been sleeping with him. It was Sesshomaru."

Miroku dropped his staff in surprise. "Sesshomaru?"

Kagome stared at her for a moment, her mouth going round and slack with shock. "You were with...Sesshomaru?"

She sighed. It did feel good to be honest. Now if only they didn't hate her. "I know it's crazy. I know it doesn't make any sense, but it is the truth."

"He's evil!" Shippou wailed, clutching Kagome's leg. Kagome reached down to pry the distraught kitsune from her flesh.

"Calm down, Shippou." She frowned and looked into Sango's embarrassed face. "After he took Kohaku?"

"It started before that. When he brought Kohaku to me. It just happened, Kagome. I didn't want to tell you, I was so embarrassed. I thought you would hate me, think that I was wrong because he's, well, he is what he is and I'm supposed to be a demon exterminator."

"I told her it was stupid," Inuyasha muttered, unable to keep his mouth shut another minute.

She glared at him. "Shut up, you idiot. Don't make her feel worse."

Kagome shoved Shippou into Miroku's arms and went to hold Sango's hands. "How could you think I'd hate you for something like that? You could have told me."

"You could have told both of us," Miroku said quietly. He reached over to touch her arm. "How could you possibly think that we'd hate you? I thought you knew us better than that."

She swallowed and dared to meet his gaze. His eyes were soft and kind. "Don't you know we care about you?"

"I know now." Words couldn't express what she wanted to say to Miroku, she'd feared his rejection in a secret place in her heart. His friendship, and Kagome's, was the only things that had sustained her after she lost her family. Their support had been the only lifeline she'd had to pull her out of her pit of guilt and revenge.

She should have known better, trusted in them the way they trusted in her. Even Inuyasha hadn't rejected her and he had better reason than most to hate Sesshomaru.

Sango felt tears in her eyes and wrapped her arms around Kagome, hugging her. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you, I should have known better." She felt Miroku's hand on the back of her head, for once not taking advantage. Sango looked up and was surprised to see Inuyasha looking at them with a soft expression in his golden eyes, a happy smile planted on his lips now that the truth was out and everyone could be friends again.

Kagome sniffed and pushed her away. She had something else that needed said. She turned and looked at Inuyasha. "I'm sorry I accused you, it was wrong of me to jump to conclusions."

"Yeah, it was. You should have believed in me." Her eyes were soft and a little smile on her lips matched his. "Do you forgive me?"

He blushed a little at that. "Of course I forgive you."

"Thank you, Inuyasha. Sit boy."

He slammed into the ground. "What was that for?" he snarled, picking grass out of his teeth.

She grinned down at him, unrepentant. "That's for not telling me, you idiot. Don't think I'm going to forget about that any time soon."

He put his head back down in the ground. He just couldn't win.


	8. Eight

_**Chapter Eight**_

"Kohaku! Catch me!"

Rin ran away from him, giggling wildly as she careened down the polished floor of the long corridor. Kohaku was only a heartbeat or two behind her, his longer legs giving him the advantage in catching up with the little girl.

"Rin, come back here!" he shouted. "Makiko says you have to take a bath!"

"Nooooo," she squealed, eluding him and darting into a different passage. Kohaku tried to ignore the smirks and giggles of passing youkai as he tracked his prey. Bath time for Rin was an event that never failed to amuse the household staff. For the umpteenth time, Kohaku regretted that he'd ever told Makiko that he would bring in the dirty little kid.

Rin knew the passages much better than he did and he suspected she only let him follow her because she was enjoying the chase. He leaned against the wall, listening hard to the different sounds of the fortress. She was one, maybe two corridors away.

He crept up on the passage, listening for the sounds of the hiding girl. He heard movement and jumped without hesitation. "Gotcha!"

A sharp blow struck him across the face and sent him staggering into the nearest wall. "You do not 'got' me, human whelp." He looked up into the angry eyes of a youkai lord he'd never seen before.

The man's face was furious, his eyes narrowed in disgust. "How dare you lay your hands upon me? I should kill you for your insult."

Kohaku immediately dropped into a submissive bow, kneeling on the floor with his face down. Makiko had already warned him that nobility considered it a grave insult to be looked in the eye, let alone grabbed by a human.

"Forgive me, lord. I meant no insult."

The demon swore softly under his breath and Kohaku kept his body perfectly still. He didn't dare look up. "Filthy beast. I never thought I'd see the day that Sesshomaru-sama would allow such dirty animals within these walls. Your presence fouls the very air we breathe and the stench of you offends me greatly."

"Forgive me, lord. I meant no insult," Kohaku repeated. Makiko told him never to vary from that sentence. Addressing a lord to his face could be dangerous even for a demon, depending on rank. It seemed as if this particular lord was in a bad enough mood already. Kohaku waited tensely for the man to move off and leave him.

"I think you are not sorry enough, human," the man said in a cold dangerous tone. "Perhaps a severe beating would improve your manners."

Kohaku flinched inwardly but didn't move. "Forgive me, lord. I meant no insult."

"That's enough, Hisuni-sama," another voice said quietly. Kohaku looked up and saw Jano coming up behind the angry youkai. "Your rank does not give you leave to punish this particular human. If you dispute this fact, you are more than welcome to take it up with Sesshomaru-sama himself."

Kohaku risked a glance at the youkai lord. The man was scowling, his smooth features dark with dislike. "Protecting the rabble are you, Jano? I would think you'd have more urgent duties than playing wet-nurse to a disgusting human pup."

"My duties are whatever Sesshomaru-sama says they are," Jano said evenly. "I do not answer to you or anyone else within these walls, regardless of rank or bloodline. I suggest you attend to your own business and have enough grace to accept the young man's apology."

Hisuni's face flushed with anger. "You forget your place, Jano. Don't think that I will allow you to trifle with me."

Kohaku swallowed hard as Jano's face darkened and his expression became very threatening. "Lord or not, I don't answer to you. If you wish to challenge me formally, I will accept and we can settle this dispute with honor."

The lord's face paled noticeably, the angry flush of blood receding as he comprehended Jano's implicit threat. Jano was not just a member of the household guard; he was Sesshomaru's personal bodyguard and assassin. Hisuni was no fool and had no wish to humiliate himself by entering into a duel he wouldn't win. With an angry snarl still on his lips, he turned swiftly and stalked away, muttering about impropriety and disrespect.

"Ass," Jano said pleasantly. He glanced down at the kneeling boy. "Oh, get up already, Kohaku. You don't have to be afraid of that pompous coward. Hisuni hates everything around him anyway, it's not like he couldn't have shown a little more dignity for a simple accident."

Kohaku stood up and grinned shyly. "Thank you, Jano-san. For a moment I really thought he was going to hurt me."

Jano snorted. "He would have, but he would have had to answer for it to Sessh. I actually did him a favor by stopping him." The youkai looked around, his nose twitching. "Rin, get your ass out here. I knew you were involved somehow."

The grubby little girl poked her head around the corner of the next passage. "I was scared for Kohaku. It was Rin's fault. I shouldn't have been running and hiding."

Kohaku smiled as the tall bodyguard swept the tiny girl up in a friendly, one-armed hug. "Hiding from what? The terrors of hot water and soap? Makiko is right because you really are a little barbarian." He set the girl back on her feet and gave her a light swat on her behind. "Go find Makiko and take your bath, Rin. And don't make me come after you, no hiding this time. Understand?"

Rin giggled and reached for Kohaku's hand, but Jano shook his head. "Kohaku is coming with me. Sesshomaru-sama wants to see him."

Kohaku looked nervous. "Why?" He hadn't seen the youkai lord since he'd woken up several days ago.

Jano raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea. Perhaps he's finally going to tell you why he brought you here, I've been curious about it myself."

Butterflies were swarming in Kohaku's stomach as Jano led him deep into the fortress and up a long flight of stairs. He wanted answers but he was also dreading them. He could recall the look in the youkai lord's eyes when he'd held him by his throat, preparing to tear the life out of him over Naraku's treachery. He'd been very lucky to keep his skin that day and wondered what Sesshomaru's intentions really were.

Jano pushed open a door finally and led him inside, a breezily unconcerned expression on his face. "My lord," he called out cheerily. "I've brought the boy as you requested."

"Thank you, Jano." Sesshomaru was standing next to wide window that opened out onto a long balcony. Kohaku realized they must be high in one of the fortress' towers. From where he stood he could see a vast expanse of open sky cut by mountains.

He had guessed by what he'd already seen that the sprawling building was located in a valley of some kind. The foggy mornings and crisp nights made him think they were rather high up in the Western mountains. Under Naraku's rule, he had traveled considerably, but never so far west.

The youkai lord fixed him with an unreadable expression and Kohaku dropped his eyes, staring instead at the finely woven and embroidered carpet. "Who struck you?" the demon asked in a disinterested tone. He had noticed the bruise forming on the boy's cheek. Kohaku didn't meet his gaze and so missed the flash of anger that glinted momentarily in Sesshomaru's eyes.

Jano cleared his throat. "He had a misunderstanding of sorts with Hisuni, my lord. I've taken care of the matter, it won't happen again."

Sesshomaru held Jano's gaze for a moment longer before turning his attention back to the human. "You wonder why I brought you here," he said quietly.

Kohaku glanced up and then back down at the carpet. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama." The boy flinched when he heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn from a sheath. He swallowed against his dry throat.

"This is Tenseiga," Sesshomaru said, noting how the boy's muscles had twitched when he'd drawn the sword. "You may look at me, boy. I'm speaking to you."

Kohaku glanced up and looked at the shining blade. It looked like any other katana he'd ever seen, other than it seemed to be highly polished. Sesshomaru moved the sword in a sweeping motion and Kohaku's eyes widened, noting how the bright finish seemed to blur ever so slightly.

Sesshomaru smiled faintly and sheathed the sword. "Tenseiga has the power to cut death. It was by its power that I was able to restore your life. No foul trickery like the Shikon shard, its power is far more subtle and difficult to understand."

The youkai turned away from him, a soft whisper of silk as Sesshomaru looked out the window with a distracted expression. "I spared your life that day to fulfill an obligation. Your sister saved Rin's life, so it seemed suitable that I should save yours in return."

Kohaku had guessed as much from what his sister and her friends had told him. He knew Sango would have done such a thing instinctively. There was no way she'd not risk her life to save a helpless child, even one that belonged to a demon lord. He felt nervous and he didn't know what to say or what to ask. His father had told him that courtesy often was the best way to deal with others.

Kohaku bowed respectfully. "Thank you for saving my life, Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru waved his hand lightly to dismiss the unnecessary gratitude. "I did so for my own reasons. I place no obligation upon you for my actions."

"My lord, can I ask why you brought me here?"

The youkai glanced back at him. "You were ill. You would have died if I hadn't."

_And you didn't want to see her cry_, a voice whispered in his mind. He ignored it.

"Then I should also thank you for healing me," Kohaku said slowly.

"I did no such thing. I was certain you would die if I didn't take you, I was much less certain you would live if I did." How to explain the subtlety of the Tenseiga to a limited human mind and that of a child? Why should he bother? He had only guessed that proximity to the sword and himself would restore the boy. Tenseiga was possessive, more so even than Toukijin. It refused to allow the boy to die, compelling even Sesshomaru himself with its demands.

The boy remained silent and the demon continued his thoughts, aware that Jano was still waiting like a shadow in the room. His first indication of Tenseiga's nature had been Rin. She grew disruptive, anxious, and uncontrollable when he was away from her for too long. At first he had dismissed her behavior as that of an unruly child, one who feared losing the security his presence offered her. He gradually became more aware of the bond that had developed between them.

Embarrassing certainly, to admit that he, a daiyoukai, lord of his people and accustomed to violence as a way of life, had let a tiny human waif become such a vital part of him.

"Kohaku," he said, using the boy's name for the first time. "I will tell you this so that you don't misunderstand my intentions. I did not save you out of kindness or compassion. Those are human emotions and I don't want you to confuse them with youkai nature. We are not the same as you."

Sesshomaru paused briefly, choosing his words carefully. His voice was chill with a lack of emotion. "It is my belief that the Shikon jewel that bound you to the world in a cursed half-life has also dealt you an unseen damage. To put it in simplest terms, your soul was being torn from your body. That is the true reason for your illness."

"So I will die if I leave here," Kohaku said in a sober, quiet voice.

Sesshomaru nodded, it seemed the boy might not be as stupid as most humans. "If you stray too far from Tenseiga's influence, and thus my own, your body will again begin to collapse. I do not know if it is simply the misuse of the Shikon jewel or if it was Naraku himself that has done this to you. Tenseiga cuts death, but it also forges a bond between those it spares and the one who wields it. That is the reason I have taken you under my protection."

Kohaku hesitated, unsure how the demon would take his next question. "Does my sister know this?"

Sesshomaru smiled slightly. "No, but she does now understand that your life is in my hands. She accepts the fact and does not question my actions."

Kohaku found himself frowning at the demon's words. That didn't sound at all like his sister. Sango should be frantic to get to him; the thought had pained him since he'd woken up with Rin standing over him. Sango had to be worried, Sango didn't trust demons and he worried that she'd kill herself trying to find him.

Sesshomaru noticed Kohaku's perplexed expression and smiled inwardly to himself. "Have I answered your questions, Kohaku?"

"Yes, thank you, Sesshomaru-sama." The demon turned away again and flicked his fingers at the boy in a dismissive gesture.

"You may leave."

The boy turned obediently to leave and stopped next to the door. "Can I ask you one more question, my lord?"

"What is it?"

Kohaku took a deep breath. "When will I see my sister again?"

"When I so choose. Now leave." He had heard the appeal in the young man's voice, knew how desperately Kohaku must want to see his sister. Sango shared such feelings, that much was obvious.

_He's my brother!_ she had shouted, pain and need held captive in her eyes. The bond between the two siblings was strained and frayed by all that they had been through, but they still clung to each other all the same. Remembering Sango's anguish over her brother's life sent an unfamiliar pang into Sesshomaru's heart.

Such emotions are a sign of weakness, he told himself. Their love of each other is a vulnerability that has been exploited by Naraku and has nearly caused their destruction. Still, it nagged at the back of his mind, giving him the barest glimpse of how their human minds and hearts were tormented by their separation.

It occurred to him that he hadn't made it any easier on her. He'd expected her to trust him implicitly, accept his decision and his actions without so much as a word. _Humans do not work like that_, he thought, frowning slightly. They had no biological impulse to trust him or follow his orders. They fumbled their way to conclusions like a man fumbled his way home after too much drink.

Sesshomaru realized suddenly how difficult it had been for Sango to accept his actions regarding her brother. And he'd forced her to submit to him again, thinking that would reassure her. It would have reassured a youkai female, being taken by a stronger male, but Sango was human.

Uneasy with the direction his thoughts were taking him, he looked back at Jano. "Why are you still here?"

The boy had left, but his bodyguard remained standing, waiting for his lord to remember his presence. "You seem distracted, Sessh. Is there something on your mind?"

Sesshomaru scowled, knowing that Jano would hardly be intimidated. "It's personal," he muttered. "When I want your opinion on something, I'll ask you for it."

Jano raised an eyebrow, answering Sesshomaru's surly tone with an easy grin. "Even when I tell you that the scouts have reported back to me? If you're not interested, I can come back later."

He shot his bodyguard a look that meant it was time to quit playing around. "Report, Jano. What did they find?"

The demon leaned easily against the wall, a knowing smirk on his face. "They think they might have tracked down Naraku. Villagers in the eastern part of the territory have been seeing strange things in the sky and anyone who gets to close to the affected area doesn't come back."

Sesshomaru frowned. "Is that all?"

His bodyguard shrugged. "They didn't investigate further, you told them to report back if they got so much as a sniff of that foul bastard. Do you want me to send them out again and see if they can get better detailed information?"

"No," Sesshomaru said quietly. "I want you to go yourself. If it is Naraku, don't even think about engaging him. I want you back here with the information so we can plan how to approach his lair. I'll have no more mistakes; I want to kill that abomination personally."

oOo

"Goddamnit!"

"Inuyasha! Settle down already," Kagome reached out to touch his arm but the half-demon shook her off angrily. He glowered at his companions.

"We would have been here earlier if you people weren't always slowing me down!"

"Excuse us for needing to sleep!" Kagome exploded. Miroku and Sango backed away from the irate girl. "You're the only one that can run for days and not get tired. Don't you dare blame us because Naraku's not here anymore!"

With the exception of a cranky hanyou, they were all exhausted. They'd caught wind of Naraku's whereabouts and had barely stopped to rest, let alone eat, for longer than it took to keep them alive. Again they were too late as the wily demon had once again moved his lair, leaving a defiled space in the earth where he'd been.

The small glade might have been beautiful once; rich with wildflowers and green grass swaying gently in the breeze. Now it was dark and dead, even the insects had retreated from Naraku's evil miasma.

There was also no shortage of remains laying around, no few of them human. Unwary villagers, innocent travelers that happened upon the demon's lair. It looked like Naraku had been feeding oni and monsters again, probably for building new and foul creatures to do his bidding. That explained the bits and pieces that didn't look human anymore.

Miroku sighed wearily and unpacked a shovel. "Grave digging again. By Buddha himself, I'm tired of burying Naraku's victims."

"I'll help you, houshi-sama," Sango said softly. She knew how much it bothered Miroku, how many innocent lives were lost to Naraku's evil purposes. It bothered her too, she still had nightmares about crawling half dead out of her own grave. As the human remains were well scattered, it was decided that a single grave would have to suffice. Naraku's miasma left no more than bones anyway, skin, hair, flesh and organs dissolved under the corrosive influence.

They worked to dig the hole together, moving earth in harmony and silence. Inuyasha and Kagome also worked silently to collect the sad bits and pieces that used to be human beings. Shippou had wanted to pick flowers for a grave marker, but there weren't any to be had. Kagome had given the fox a piece of paper and a crayon, asking him to draw the flowers since there weren't any for him to pick.

Once finished, they gathered to bow their heads respectfully while Miroku murmured a short blessing. It seemed inadequate somehow that all they were able to do for these poor people was hope that they were now at rest. Sango closed her eyes, contemplating her own graves. She hadn't been back to the site of her village in some time to pay her respects. Kohaku had expressed an interest in returning for such a reason.

Sango deliberately pushed the thoughts of her brother out of her mind. It was too painful to think about. She prayed he was better now and not too anxious about her absence.

"Now what?" Inuyasha said in a glum voice. He glanced over at Kagome and Sango, scratching his head absently. "We might as well rest, but I'm not staying here. This place gives me the creeps."

"You aren't the only one," a new voice said quietly.

They all started and hands went immediately to weapons. Inuyasha scowled into the gathering darkness. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

A man stepped out of the trees, holding out both hands to show them he hadn't drawn his blade. "Peace, friends, I mean no harm. I watched you showing respect to the dead and thought that perhaps you might have information about the monster that did this."

Inuyasha kept his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga, but didn't draw the blade. "Spying on us? What makes you think we'd tell you anything?"

Kagome edged closer to his side. "He hasn't done anything hostile. Don't be so quick to judge him."

"He could be working for Naraku!"

The man laughed at that and his voice had a warm, friendly ring. "The hanyou is correct, girl. You should be suspicious of strangers always. As it happens, I am not working for Naraku, but I am looking for the foul creature."

"Come closer so we can see you then," Inuyasha ordered gruffly. "If you don't mean any harm, you don't have a problem showing yourself instead of hiding in the shadows."

The man drew closer, throwing off the hood of his cloak and exposing his face. Inuyasha stared hard at him. He was plainly dressed in dark clothes with a long cloak trimmed in jet-black fur.

The man smiled then and showed pointed fangs. "Satisfied?"

"You're inuyoukai," Inuyasha growled, his hands tensing again. "I thought I smelled it, how did you mask your scent?"

The demon chuckled. "Trick of the trade. I might be inclined to teach it to you someday. You have a problem with inuyoukai? You're half dog-demon yourself or I don't recognize those ears."

Sango stared at the newcomer who smiled so confidently at them. "Are you from this area?"

"No, but this is close enough to my home territory that my people were concerned by Naraku hiding here. You are a...demon exterminator, are you not?" His eyes held a flicker of recognition as he took in the details of her uniform. She nodded, easing her hold on Hiraikotsu slightly.

"What are you doing here?" Miroku asked, his voice mild. "If you were looking for Naraku, I'm afraid you're too late. As were we."

The youkai nodded. "I can see that, monk. I've been sent by my people to track the monster, make sure he stays away from our territory. I was going to report back with his precise location, but it seems he's given us all the slip. Too bad, I hate to miss out on a fight."

"You've been tracking him?" Kagome said, looking at him with curiosity. "Were you going to attack him?"

He shrugged. "Those were not my instructions, I was only to report back with a confirmation of Naraku's location. I was not to engage him in combat without provocation." He sighed and looked up at the darkening sky. "It seems I've wasted my time, but I also have no desire to camp here. I'd much rather return home and sleep in safety."

"Is your village far from here?" Miroku asked interestedly. He was tired of sleeping on the cold ground. Youkai or not, he seemed friendly enough and anyone who had it in for Naraku couldn't be all bad.

With a faint smile, the demon met the monk's eyes. "As it happens, my…uh…village isn't far from here. I can offer you its hospitality. You have my word no harm will come to you."

"A demon's word," Inuyasha said darkly. "No thanks, I'd rather trust the woods."

"You're very suspicious, aren't you? If you used your nose, you'd know I'm not lying. Even a hanyou should be able to scent deception in another inuyoukai."

Inuyasha grinned. "You were able to cover your scent before, what makes you think I don't know you're covering something now?"

Sighing, the dog demon reached for his sword. Inuyasha immediately tensed, but the youkai didn't draw his blade. Instead he pulled the katana with its sheath from his waist and tossed it over to the hanyou. "If I'm lying, you can kill me with my own blade. How's that for an indication of my intentions?"

Inuyasha gripped the sheath in his hand for a moment before tossing it back. "If you're lying, I won't need your puny sword to kill you. My own will do the job just fine."

Kagome finally nudged him in the ribs. "Oh, come on, he's trying to be fair and we all need a rest. I know you won't admit it, but I bet you're curious about a village of dog-demons."

"Why should I be?" he said, glaring at her. "I don't give a damn about it."

"Are you scared?" she asked in a challenging voice. He refused to dignify that with a response, instead turning his fierce yellow gaze on the patiently waiting demon.

"How far is your village anyway?"

"Not far," the stranger answered. "If you can keep up with me running, we can be there by morning. If you're up for such a long run that is, your friends will definitely need to ride that cat-youkai."

Kirara mewed lightly, twitching her tails as she knew she was being spoken of. She picked her way delicately over to the demon, her expression wary even in her adorable kitten form. He bowed and Sango again heard an unusual hissing-purring form of language, this time from the strange dog-demon. Kirara's response was to curl up on his toe and purr contentedly.

Sango was amused. "Well, she seems to like you and she doesn't like everyone. I'm curious myself and the idea of a real bed seems too good to be true."

"Very well," the demon said with a smile. "You will be honored guests in my home for as long as you wish to stay. I'm sure that my people will do everything they can to make you feel welcome."

"I ain't holding my breath," Inuyasha said grimly. "You haven't even told us your name and you expect us to follow you home like little stray puppies."

"My name is Jano. The demon gave him an arch glance. "And I don't usually bring home strays. However, you do look weary and this is far too depressing a place to rest for any amount of time. If you don't trust me, that's only to be expected. You don't know me. If you can't think of me as a friend, you can at least think of me as Naraku's enemy and I'm sure we'll get along fine."


	9. Nine

Chapter Nine

They had reached the foot of the mountains by daybreak.

"I'm sorry," Jano said mildly. "This pass isn't easy, but it's the only one. We'll have to go on foot from here." The truth was he knew of several different ways to get into the valley where the fortress lay, but he wasn't about to show them all his secrets at once.

"You can put me down now, Inuyasha," Kagome said, tapping him on the shoulder. He let her ease down, hoping she didn't notice he'd been holding her legs for other reasons than just to keep her secure. He wasn't sure, Kagome seemed to be over her anger at him, but he figured he'd better play it safe with her for a bit longer.

He was even mildly surprised when she'd accepted his offer to carry her this far. Jano's eyebrows had shot up in surprise when he'd knelt to let the girl swing her legs around him.

"What? You got something you wanna say?" he said in an irate and challenging voice.

"No, not at all," Jano murmured. Sessh had made an offhand comment about his brother having a strange attachment to a human girl. It seemed as if he was correct, Kagome might be oblivious but he noticed the way that the hanyou's hands rested on her slim legs just the same.

Jano's eyes flicked back at the exterminator girl as she slipped gracefully off the back of the cat. Something about her nagged at him and he just couldn't quite lay a claw on it.

She had to be young Kohaku's sister, the one he'd spoken of. Jano would lay money on it and he'd never bet on anything unless he was damn sure of the outcome. She was quite pretty in his estimation, being something of an expert on lovely females. However, there was just a tinge of mystery about her, her scent reminded him of something, but not strong enough to really jar his memory loose.

It didn't matter, he'd figure out the mystery sooner or later.

Sango found she was actually grateful that they'd agreed to accompany Jano. She was a bit nervous about meeting a whole village of inuyoukai though and hoped they would be somewhat friendly. That went against everything she knew about dog-demons, but she was still more curious than apprehensive. She wondered what kind of reception they'd get once they'd reached the village.

Having a new person traveling with them had stopped the comments and questions that had been flying around her for the past few days. She still felt herself blush like fire every time Kagome asked her a question or Miroku and Inuyasha trading teasing remarks about Sesshomaru and her relationship with the demon lord.

Sango grunted and Kagome looked over her shoulder at her. "All right, Sango?" she asked.

"Just stubbed my toe," Sango answered. _I don't know that it's a relationship_, she thought grumpily. Teasing from Inuyasha she could deal with, Miroku's blunt comments made her want to squirm. At least Kagome was a bit more tactful, waiting until the males had gone off a safe distance to scoot to the exterminator's side for another question.

"How did it happen, Sango?"

"I told you, I didn't plan it. It just happened!"

Kagome sighed, her eyes dreamy. "I always thought he looked so beautiful. So elegant it's hard to believe he's really related to Inuyasha. I'm surprised he didn't flip out when he found out about Sesshomaru. That's a lot more self control than I thought he'd have."

"He did flip out," Sango confessed. "Made all kinds of nasty comments, practically accused me of betraying you both. It was a bit scary too."

Kagome snorted. "I'm not surprised. I'm just still in shock he was able to keep his big mouth shut as long as he did. Sango, weren't you scared of Sesshomaru? I mean, you know how evil he can be, you can't just forget about all the things he's done. Can you?" she asked uncertainly.

Sango frowned and then shook her head. "No. I can't forget that and yes, I'm still a little scared of him."

"Then how, I mean why..." Kagome trailed off, looking at her friend in concern.

Sango felt the blood rushing to her cheeks and reached over to take Kagome's hand. "I just couldn't help myself. I'd never felt anything like that before. I wanted to hate myself for being so weak, but I couldn't hate myself for wanting him."

Kagome's cheeks flushed to match her own. "When do you think you'll see him again?"

Her friend looked slightly embarrassed, a soft smile on her lips. "I don't know, I guess when he wants to find me, he will."

"You mean when he wants to fuck you again, right?" Inuyasha had been listening in on their conversation, dropping back as Jano and Miroku took the lead and disappeared around a corner.

Sango glared at him. "Leave me alone, nobody asked for your opinion."

"Yeah, I'm getting that idea," he growled, moving away and catching up to Jano and Miroku.

Kagome fixed him with a narrow glance. "He's such a jerk."

Sango pounced on her friend. "Are you ever going to tell me what really happened between you two?"

Kagome immediately became very interested in the texture of the ground, kicking at a piece of dirt with her toe. "Nothing happened," she said quietly. "Not that I didn't want it to."

Sango goggled at her. "Then what did he do?" Kagome turned away, her face sad. "He...brought up Kikyou, after he had been...after we had been..."

Sango drew in a breath and blew it out again. Kagome's face said it all. She glared ahead of them at Inuyasha's back. "Inuyasha, you're such an asshole!"

"Ya know," the hanyou said, glancing over at Miroku's startled face. "I'm getting really sick of this shit."

Jano cleared his throat. "Is there some kind of problem with your females? I've noticed you seem to be object of some hostility, Inuyasha."

"I'm used to it," he growled. "They're all pissed off at me, I don't even know why anymore." The sour expression on the young hanyou's face made Jano have to restrain himself from laughing. The females had withdrawn to a discreet distance, talking in such low tones that even his sharp ears couldn't pick out the details.

Miroku smiled easily. "Inuyasha's lack of tact usually gets him in trouble. I hope your people are feeling tolerant."

"About as tolerant as they ever are," Jano said cheerily. Well, his rank would assure that his new friends were treated well, regardless of how certain demons felt about it. The only one who had the authority to counter his orders was Sesshomaru himself. Somehow, and he wasn't sure exactly where this instinct was coming from, he thought that Sessh wouldn't have them killed.

He was being completely, unabashedly devious in doing this. Having offered them his protection, it would be nothing short of dishonorable for Sesshomaru to have them slain. As his lord's personal representative, bodyguard, and sometime assassin, Sessh would find himself bound by ancient tradition to uphold Jano's promise.

They climbed higher into the mountains and Jano deliberately slowed his pace to make it easier on the humans. The hanyou he had no worries about, Inuyasha looked as energetic as ever. He was more concerned about the two females and he suspected that the monk might be tougher than he looked.

Dropping into step beside Kagome, he noticed that the girl was starting to shiver. The mountain air had a certain briskness and the wind liked to find every crevice and passage to whistle through. He wasn't surprised to see her getting chilled by it, especially not wearing that ridiculously brief garment. She hadn't complained once though, not during the long arduous run or about the steep rocky pass.

"Are you cold, little human?"

Kagome smiled faintly. "Just a little. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Jano's eyebrow quirked and he wondered since when had humans taught their children such pride. Kagome looked startled when his thick cloak dropped over her shoulders. "Thank you," she said sincerely, her fingers digging gratefully into the silky black fur. "You're very considerate."

He smiled at that. "You're welcome. Most youkai don't notice the chill in the air, it's been a long time since humans entered this pass."

She looked at him with a faint curiosity. "Have you met many humans?"

Actually, he had. His duties sent him far and wide throughout the western lands. He knew the location of every single human settlement within the territory and was even on speaking terms with the heads of several villages. Sesshomaru had a pointed dislike of the creatures and avoided them assiduously, but at least he had the common sense of his father and didn't find any amusement in terrorizing simple farmers and peasants.

Jano sighed, wishing more of his people could see it that way. Or at least that certain difficult clanlords felt some kind of responsibility for reining in high-spirited young demons that thought that humans made decent sport.

"I have met a few humans," he confessed.

"Do you know any kitsune?" Shippou asked, popping his head out from under Jano's cloak.

He grinned at the tiny fox. "Here and there, enough that I've learned to be wary."

Shippou giggled and then gave the inuyoukai a slightly apprehensive look. "Your people don't...eat kitsune, do they?"

He honestly didn't know if he should laugh or be offended. The notion was barbaric. "Eat kitsune meat? I think I'd rather starve. What made you ask such a thing?"

Shippou looked nervous. "I just thought I'd ask, some demons don't care you know. I almost got ate by wolf demons once and I've never forgotten it."

"Oh, Shippou," Kagome said mildly. "I'm sure they really wouldn't have eaten you, it was just a threat."

"Not at all," Jano said, a frown creasing his forehead. "Wolf demons are barbarians. If they were hungry enough, I'm sure they'd have no problem eating a little fox or a human. They have no sense of decency."

Kagome gave him a sharp look. "That's not true, I have a wolf demon friend and he's very nice."

Jano looked doubtful and Kagome felt she had to at least defend Kouga, even if other wolf demons weren't as friendly. "You can't just judge a whole race of youkai like that. Kouga's an honorable person and he's always treated me with great respect."

He made a rude noise. "Then he's trying to get between your legs, girl. Don't misunderstand politeness or friendliness from a demon for something else. If a wolf is acting that out of character, he wants something from you."

Kagome flushed and then scowled as Inuyasha's laugh rang out. "You're wasting your time, Jano. She won't see him for what he is, I've tried to tell her what that wimpy wolf's really after."

Jano chuckled. "Don't be angry, I'm not trying to insult your friend. Wolf and dog youkai don't mix well, we're too closely related to ever get along. If you say your friend's intentions are honorable, then I won't contradict you. I'm sure this Kouga is a fine demon."

Kagome looked much appeased and he leaned close to her. "And dog demons are very possessive, don't expect the hanyou to ever accept a wolf as his friend."

He let the girl move on ahead, dropping back a few steps to let Sango catch up with him. The exterminator was by far the quietest of this strange group. He wondered if they had realized he was deliberately interviewing each of them. Most likely not.

"Might I ask you a question, Sango?"

She glanced at him, indifferent. "I suppose that depends on the question."

_Good point_, he thought, smiling a little. At least she was sharp. "How does a demon exterminator find herself traveling with a hanyou, a monk, and a young girl?"

Sango frowned. "They're my friends. What other explanation do you need beside that?"

Jano grinned at the challenge in her tone. "I'm just curious. It seems an unusual friendship."

She sighed and he saw a sad expression flicker in her eyes. "I guess you could say we were thrown together by a common enemy, the demon Naraku. One way or another, we've all lost something or suffered at his hands. We have to find a way to stop him and we've got a better chance of it if we stick together."

He was impressed by the determination in her voice. "What have you lost to him?"

She shot him a glare. "Only my father and family, my village, everyone I grew up with or loved."

Jano was silent for a moment. "I'm very sorry to hear that."

"Are you really?" she asked bitterly. "I'm amazed a demon should have sympathy for a human. I didn't know it was possible."

That startled him. Didn't she know that Sesshomaru had gone out of his way to save the life of her brother? "Even youkai can be moved for their own reasons. I would pity any creature that had taken such a loss. You probably don't know that inuyoukai value blood ties above all else. There is no stronger bond than that of being of the same clan. Were there no survivors of your village beside yourself, no one you can call your family?"

Her face softened somewhat. "I apologize, Jano. I'm a little on edge these days, not your fault at all. I have a younger brother, Kohaku. He was lost to me for a long time and then we were recently reunited." Her expression fell and she looked away. "And then we were separated again. I don't know where he is now, but I miss him terribly."

_Sesshomaru_, he thought. _I was right and this is Kohaku's sister_. Tenseiga had restored the boy's life and now that boy was bound to the youkai lord, perhaps for the rest of his life. Jano immediately felt extremely uncomfortable. It occurred to him that while it had seemed like an amusing idea to bring this hapless group back to the fortress, there was obviously more going on than he'd assumed. Sango's bitterness about her brother was evident. Perhaps he was making a grave mistake.

A little too late for that now, Jano decided. He was committed to this course of action and had to see it to its conclusion.

oOo

"How beautiful!" Kagome exclaimed, her eyes wide and shining. They had just emerged from the bottom of the mountain pass and the valley lay open before them. Tranquil green fields of grass and trees, wildflowers shone like jewels in the early morning sunshine. The girl was completely charmed by the natural, unspoiled beauty of the landscape.

"This is where your people live, Jano?"

He nodded, smiling at her. In the distance, he could see the morning mists still rising into the steadily warming sky. The mists concealed the fortress itself and many had wandered into this valley without noticing its existence.

Jano had never been sure if it was simply a natural occurrence or if the fortress remained hidden by some ancient magic. The massive structure blended against the backdrop of the mountains at the far side of the valley, tricking untrained eyes into missing its presence. He didn't know the entire history of the fortress or its lovely valley. Even Sessh didn't know, although they'd wiled away more than one long evening debating on the subject.

He decided to take them on the most direct road, knowing that sentries who were posted in the pass had already noted their presence. They hadn't challenged him, not that he expected it. Jano guessed that they took in his companions and decided to leave the matter to him. He was certain it was being reported to the household guard and smiled about the consternation that report might be causing. He was lucky that they hadn't been met by a patrol when they'd entered the valley.

The sun was rising steadily in the sky and Jano noticed the weariness on the faces of the humans. "I swear it's not far now," he said. "If you'd like to rest, this would be a good time."

He saw the gratefulness in Kagome and Sango's eyes and even Miroku looked relieved at the idea of being able to sit down. He wondered how long it had been since they'd slept and decided to lead them to the lake. The cool water would be more refreshing than just plopping down in a field.

Kagome stood still in awe at the sight. "I've never seen anything so lovely," she whispered. A crystal clear lake was surrounded by a riot of color; a massive field of wildflowers sprawled across the valley and the heady fragrance was intoxicating.

Sango knelt and buried her face in the colorful blooms, refreshed by the sweet smell. Like Kagome, she thought she'd never seen such a beautiful place.

"They're just flowers," Inuyasha grinned.

Miroku nudged his friend, settling down to dip his feet in the crisp lake water. "Beauty is a feast for the soul, Inuyasha. Don't tell me even you aren't moved by it."

"I never said so," the hanyou replied. His eyes were drawn to a simple black obelisk that was almost hidden by tall sunflowers. "What's that?"

Kagome followed him as he went to stand beside the stone. It seemed to be made of obsidian or some other shiny dark rock. Polished smooth and finely wrought, although the years had weathered the gleam of the stone to a duller finish. His finger reached out to trace the kanji that had been carved into the rock.

Kagome ducked under his arm to peer closer. "I don't recognize this style of writing. Maybe it's a message or the name of the lake."

"Maybe it's a warning not to stop here," he grinned, resting his arm casually over her shoulders.

She didn't pull away, instead leaning just as casually against him. "Maybe it's a blessing."

"It's actually a grave," Jano said softly. Inuyasha started, he hadn't heard the demon come up behind them and scowled. Bastard could move too quietly when he wanted.

"A grave?" Kagome asked hesitantly. Jano nodded, reached across them to touch the kanji markings. "This is her name and this is the date she died, a little less than two hundred years ago. It's the old script, not used much anymore by anyone except historians or people who want to impress others with their knowledge of the old forms."

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, fixing Jano with his golden stare. "Who was she?"

"Her name was Anuki," Jano answered soberly. "She was born to the family clan Sutakasi. Their estate used to stand beside this lake. After they were massacred, the estate was leveled and the flowers planted as a memorial."

"Massacred?" Kagome asked, her eyes wide. "That's awful, did you know her?"

He hid a smile. "No, I'm afraid Anuki died not long before I was born. I knew her youngest son, the sole survivor of the clan. It was a very tragic event, almost two hundred people died right on this very spot."

"Who killed them?" Inuyasha asked. "Was it an attack by a rival demon clan?"

"No. It was her husband. In the grip of rage, he attacked and slaughtered his wife and six oldest children. Family and servants tried to intervene and he killed them too. He was executed for his crimes."

Jano turned away. He didn't want to talk about the subject as thinking on the tragedy of Inoki and Anuki invariably brought his thoughts to Naota. That led to thoughts of Namichi and memories that were better left without revisiting. He missed them both and Namichi's death still bothered him.

_If I'd been there,_ he told himself, _I might have been able to save her_. And it was better, considering present company, if he didn't let himself dwell on the details.

oOo

"That's your village?"

"It looks like a castle!"

"Jano, that place is huge! What kind of trick is this?"

He sighed. "No trick, friends. I might not have mentioned that it's a bit larger than a village. More like a small city."

"Small?" Kagome burst out, looking up with certain trepidation at the tall gates. "I think you should have told us! I was expecting a little village, not a...not a..."

"Fortress?" Inuyasha supplied in a quiet voice. Jano looked over and met the hanyou's eyes. His expression was unreadable, a shadow in his gaze that he'd not seen before.

"If you don't want to go inside, I'll understand," the youkai told him in a quiet voice.

Inuyasha's gaze narrowed. "I'm not afraid of anything," he said, the challenge evident in his tone.

As he suspected, the hanyou knew exactly where he was. "I never said you were."

With a grin of sheer anticipation, he strode forward and banged his fist on the gate. "Open up, you lazy bastards!"

A small door set into the larger gate slid open and an angry face appeared. "Who are you calling lazy, Jano? And where the hell have you been? You were supposed to report back three days ago."

He leaned casually against the casement, returning the guard's accusing look with a condescending smile. "Made myself some new friends, Shiou. Don't be a pompous snot, open the goddamn gate."

Another face crowded in next to Shiou's. "Friends? Since when do you make friends with outsiders? Hey, those are human women!"

"Glad your eyes work better than your brain, Haru," Jano said pleasantly. "Lay a single claw on either of them and I will personally cut your fingers off and make you eat them."

"No need to get so touchy," Haru grumbled. Then he caught sight of the white-haired young hanyou. "Uh, Jano? Please tell me that's not who I think it is."

"I don't have to tell you shit," Jano said, his tone noticeably cooler. "But yes, that is exactly who you think it is."

Shiou grunted. "Gonna be hell to pay."

Jano sighed. "Just open the fucking gate already. It's not your problem."

Shiou snapped the door shut, almost closing it on Jano's hand. He heard the familiar creak of well-oiled gears and the massive locks were turned back and the gate started to swing open. He put his palm up and pushed it easily, glancing back at his charges.

"Come on in, no need to be shy," he said, smiling wickedly. Haru and Shiou stared openly at them as the newcomers filed in, catching a threatening glare from the hanyou. Jano kept his face impassive as the gate closed behind him.

Haru whistled softly. "You do love to live dangerously, Jano."

"Only way I know."


	10. Ten

_**Chapter Ten**_

Sango felt a shiver of apprehension drop down her spine as they followed Jano deeper into the fortress. This place was unbelievably huge. She tried not to let her muscles tense up when she thought about how many youkai eyes were upon them. She wondered again if they had been led into a trap and let herself draw closer to Miroku, pitching her voice low and hoping Jano couldn't overhear her words.

"Do you think we're in trouble?"

His reply was so soft that she had to concentrate to hear his words. "I don't know. We'll find out when our new friend decides to make his intentions clear." That didn't reassure her in the least and Sango shifted Hiraikotsu to a more comfortable position on her shoulder, trying not to be obvious as she slipped free the clasps that bound it to her back.

Miroku's face was impassive, neither relaxed nor agitated. His elbow brushed against her shoulder and she caught his slight nod and followed his gaze. "Inuyasha doesn't look unduly alarmed by this at all."

Sango stared at the hanyou. She'd traveled with him long enough to read his body language better than most. He was obviously as tense as she was, but his stance wasn't one where he was preparing to go on the offensive either. If _anything_, she thought, _he looks like he's waiting for something unpleasant to happen. At least he's not gripping Tessaiga's hilt_.

Her attention was pulled away from Inuyasha when she saw Jano signal another youkai to approach him. The demon was obviously some kind of guard, wearing the same livery and armor as the two gatekeepers. The man listened to Jano for a moment, nodded brusquely, and walked away at a brisk pace. Jano's eyes flicked over to hers at that moment and her brow furrowed at the demon's slow smile.

Kagome edged nervously closer to Inuyasha, holding Shippou firmly in her arms. The kitsune was trembling and she knew they'd both feel more secure being nearer to him. "What do you think is going on?" she asked.

The hanyou didn't answer, his arms folded across his chest. He hadn't taken his eyes from Jano for a second, his golden gaze boring into the demon with a watchful stillness that most would find unnerving. If this were a trick, some kind of sick game to lure them here, that fucker would be the first to die.

Jano returned his ominous stare, amusement sparkling in the youkai's night-dark eyes. "You think I've led you here as part of a trap, some plot to betray you."

"The thought had crossed my mind," Inuyasha said softly. Kagome swallowed hard at the quiet threat in his tone. Almost without thinking her hand slipped out to comfort itself by holding his arm.

Jano smiled faintly at their uneasiness. "I suppose I'd think the same thing if I were in your position."

A light breeze lifted Jano's hair, making his long topknot ripple like a black banner behind him. "I offered you the hospitality of my people," he said in a voice pitched to be heard by more than just the hanyou and his human friends. "I promised that no harm would come to you and I do not take my promises lightly."

He turned away from them deliberately and looked up at a wide stone staircase, expectant. A slim figure had just emerged from the shadows.

"Sister?"

"Kohaku?" Sango gasped, taken completely by surprise at the sight of her little brother. Her eyes widened as her brother's face broke into a helplessly happy grin and he ran down the stairs with scarce regard for their steepness. Sango dropped Hiraikotsu and rushed up to meet him. He was alive and he looked healthy and fit. Any doubts she had about his safety melted when Kohaku threw himself into her waiting arms, his voice an exuberant shout of joy in her ears.

Sango clutched at him as if she'd never known anything sweeter than the feel of him in her arms. Her face was buried in his shoulder as he returned her embrace enthusiastically and laughed. She hadn't heard him laugh like that since before her father had died. The sound lifted her heart and she forgot that she and her friends were standing inside a fortress full of demons.

"Oh, Kohaku, I'm so happy to see you!"

"I missed you too," he said, his voice muffled in her hair. Sango thrust him away from her so she could drink in the sight of his face. She wanted to stare at him, count the freckles on his nose. His cheeks were flushed with happiness, not fever and his eyes were bright.

"You're not sick anymore?"

He shook his head vigorously. "No, sister. I'm fine now. Are you well? You look really tired."

"Don't worry about me," she grinned, tousling his hair in a way she knew he'd used to hate. Kagome ran up to them then, unable to hold herself back another minute. Her eyes had gotten teary at the siblings' reunion and she was about to burst with relief at seeing Kohaku so healthy.

"Kohaku-kun," she laughed as he blushed when she hugged him. Sango turned her eyes back to Jano, who was wearing a decidedly smug expression. His eyes drifted away from hers and Sango followed the direction of his gaze when he turned his head to look up at the top of the stair.

Sesshomaru was looking down at them with as cold an expression of icy disdain as she'd ever seen. She flushed hard at the sight of him, unable to suppress the thrill that went through her body. He stared right at her for a moment, unreadable and unwelcoming, before turning his hard gaze on Jano just long enough that Sango swore the black-haired youkai's face paled under his darkly tanned complexion.

Without so much as a word, he turned and stalked away to disappear into the shadows at the top of the staircase. Jano scowled briefly and went up the stairs two at a time to follow Sesshomaru. An awkward silence settled over them and Sango looked away from Kagome's questioning eyes.

Kohaku felt the tension in his sister and it alarmed him. "Hey," he said softly. "What are you doing here anyway? Did Jano bring you here?"

She nodded, ruffling his hair again because it gave her so much pleasure to touch him. "Yes, but he didn't tell us you were here. He didn't tell us anything."

"So we're idiots," Inuyasha muttered. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted him. You can't tell me he didn't know what he was doing. If he wanted a fight, he should have come out and said so. He didn't need to trick us into coming here."

"Jano's not like that," Kohaku said flatly. They stared at him, surprised by the vehemence in his tone. "He's an important person here, nobody challenges him. If he said you wouldn't be hurt, you won't be. Unless..." his eyes darkened and he looked up the stairs again, concern creasing his young face. "Unless he did it without Sesshomaru-sama's orders."

"I think we can assume he did," Miroku said quietly.

Shippou slid from Kagome's shoulder to hang onto Kohaku. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Kohaku. You sure had me scared! Does this mean that you can leave with us?"

He hesitated about that, Sesshomaru's words about Tenseiga's power still confused him, but he didn't think he was free to leave either. "I'm not sure," he said, looking over at his sister with a shy expression. "He said I might get sick again if I leave here, it has something to do with the jewel shard that was in my back. I would have died if Sesshomaru-sama hadn't come for me. I still don't know why he did it."

"Oh, that's easy," Shippou piped up, oblivious to the look of horror on Sango's face. "He saved you because you're Sango's little brother, and Sesshomaru must really...umph!" The kitsune was startled when Inuyasha's hand clamped over his mouth.

"You talk too much, Shippou. Save it for when we're not being watched by half the dog-demons in the territory." He felt extremely exposed, standing in an open courtyard. He could see plenty of faces at windows in the buildings around them, all of them staring like fools.

It made him angry. You _bastards never seen a hanyou before, _he thought savagely. He didn't want to go into the way he felt right now, part of him just wanted someone to fight. He'd been half hoping Sesshomaru would attack him on sight, but even that bastard had disappointed him.

Kagome gently pried his fingers off Shippou's mouth; the kitsune was starting to turn blue and waving frantically to get her attention. She held him tight in her arms.

"Shippou, I think we should just keep quiet for now," she said kindly. "We'll talk about it later when we know what's going on."

A door near where they were standing opened suddenly and a demon woman approached them. Her smile was pleasant, but Kagome didn't miss the wary suspicion in her gaze. She had long dark hair held back in many braids and her clear eyes surveyed them like they were an unusual task she wasn't sure how to complete.

"Well, Kohaku," she said, glancing at the boy with a wry twist to her smile. "It seems you have visitors. I've been told to take care of them too."

"Take care of us?" Miroku echoed, a pleased expression starting to break over his face. _A lovely youkai_, he decided, catching her surprise at his appreciative smile. "I would be most happy to put myself at your disposal."

"Right," she said slowly. Another human to look after and keep out of trouble. As if Rin wasn't work enough, even with Kohaku's help the little girl managed to terrorize the fortress with her antics. "My name is Makiko and I'll show you to your rooms. The lord has been kind enough to extend his invitation for you to stay. You all look like you could use some rest and refreshment."

"Invitation?" Inuyasha burst out, looking startled. "Since when does Sesshomaru give a flying shit about anyone being rested or refreshed?"

Makiko gave him a stern look, the one that could stop Rin in her tracks. "Sesshomaru-sama mentioned his brother had no manners, so I will not take offense at your language. He also said that if you don't want to stay, you are more than welcome to turn around and walk out that gate anytime you like. It was not his will that you be brought here."

"Is Jano in trouble then?" Kagome looked nervously around her; it might be a better idea for them to leave before things got ugly. She was surprised at the sound of the woman's light laugh.

"Don't worry about Jano. He's well known for being able to take care of himself. Please follow me, if you will."

The woman walked away like she had no concern whatsoever about them choosing to accompany her. Kohaku grinned at his sister's confused expression.

"It's usually better if you just do what she says. Makiko is very nice, but you don't want to get on her bad side either."

oOo

Sesshomaru was absolutely furious, so of course that meant that his expression showed nothing. Jano followed him silently until he reached the privacy of his personal rooms and spun around to fix his obviously dangerously insane bodyguard with a piercing look.

"How dare you bring them here!"

Jano sighed and looked away. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

He had to clamp down on his anger or he was in serious danger of scorching the furnishings with an unintended burst of youki. "You thought it was a good idea to bring that bastard half-brother of mine to the fortress? Did you take an injury to your head, Jano? I expect an explanation for your behavior."

Jano grinned suddenly. "You know, you sounded just like the Daimyo when you said that. Gave me a chill." Sessh growled menacingly at his lifelong friend and most trusted bodyguard.

"It should give you more than a chill," he snarled.

He turned away from Jano so that he couldn't see the strange mixture of emotions come over his face when he dropped the icy mask. She was here. As hard as he'd fought himself to not bring her here, to resist the temptation, to make himself believe that he wasn't starting to need her, he found himself undone by Jano's presumption. Inuyasha he could deal with. Sango's presence unsettled the demon lord like nothing he'd ever felt before. Again, his life had taken an unexpected twist and Sesshomaru again thought he could hear the sound of his father's laughter.

"Sessh," Jano said softly, realizing that there was more going on here than just his lord's anger at having the hanyou in the fortress. "I'm sorry. I overstepped my bounds, I know you have every right to be angry with me."

"Now you recognize that," Sesshomaru bit out.

"I'll take them out of here," Jano said, looking at his feet. "Just say the word and they're gone. If you want me to do more than that, more than just escort them, I'll do whatever you say."

It would grieve him to break his promise. He would hate himself if he had to kill any of them, particularly that young Kagome and also Kohaku's older sister. He didn't like the idea of being asked to kill the females, or even that monk. This was the risk he'd taken and he would never disobey Sesshomaru. Not for blood or personal honor, his loyalty was as absolute and as firm as the stones of this very fortress.

And if he were asked to do such an act, he also understood that Sesshomaru might be ordering him to his own death. He had every confidence in his skills as a warrior, but one did not take on Tessaiga and expect to emerge unscathed by its power.

"No," Sessh said softly, understanding what it would cost Jano to obey such an order. "I did not say I wanted that. I have no interest in killing those humans or punishing you by having you do it. As for my brother, his blood will belong only to me when I want him dead."

Jano was confused. He'd known Sessh wouldn't be pleased about this, but there was more going on. Something in his lord's tone was off so something had to be eating at him. He'd felt it with an instinct that set the hairs on the back of his neck standing to attention.

"I'm relieved you don't want them dead, I'd hate to be the one to break the news to Kohaku that you ordered his sister slain."

Sesshomaru's head had twisted around to stare at him, a furious look in his eye. He'd had about fifty-fifty odds that his behavior had something to do with one of the females. Kagome seemed an unlikely object of his lord's attention, which left only Sango. His eyes narrowed, noting the energy radiating off Sessh's body had nothing to do with anger.

He smiled slowly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"You know nothing," Sesshomaru hissed. He composed himself with some difficulty. "And I don't want to talk about it. What happened with Naraku? I assume this had something to do with why you've brought me such unwelcome guests."

Jano slipped easily into report mode, keeping his expression carefully neutral while he related the details of his expedition and the way he encountered the hanyou and his friends. His mind was actually focused elsewhere.

_Keep your secrets then,_ he thought. _I won't pry but the youkai in the fortress aren't blind either_. Right now Sesshomaru was practically broadcasting his turmoil in the pheromonal language of scent. He had a thing for the female exterminator; Jano would lay odds on it. He could understand Sessh's distress considering his well-known dislike of all things human, now finding himself attracted to Sango. Not that he hadn't had a few impure thoughts himself; she was indeed an attractive female.

In any case, such an affair would definitely be worth watching.

oOo

"I wish they'd just quit staring at us," Inuyasha rumbled as he talked with his mouth full of food. "It's bugging the shit out of me."

Makiko had led her new charges to a small room that was near the kitchen. Hanyou and humans aside, she figured they looked hungry as well as tired and if she managed to stuff them full of the kitchen's not unpalatable offerings, she could probably wheedle the group up to their beds without so much as a murmur.

Her gaze softened as she watched Kohaku, the boy's sweet smile and happiness at seeing his sister pulled at her heart. Makiko slid a large plate of his favorite sweet in front of him, letting her hand drop affectionately to his shoulder as she passed.

Sango didn't miss it. Although she was giving her attention to the delicious food she'd been offered, she noticed that demon after demon was making it a point to walk casually by the door. She wondered about Makiko's gesture and she wondered about the trusting look that her little brother gave the woman as she whisked empty plates off the table.

Kohaku had not only been healed, he seemed to like it here.

Her brother, raised to be an exterminator like herself, subjected to unknown horrors by Naraku and forced to live among the most hideous demons, was happy here? She chewed her food slowly, turning the thoughts over in her head.

Makiko frowned as a small group of young looking demons had gathered in the doorway this time, whispering excitedly. They groaned as she slid the door shut, a stern glare letting them know they'd better find other places to be. Nobody liked to be stared at while they ate. She turned to see a quick smile from the younger of the two girls, the one who had an impish look in her eye when she'd seen the younglings gathering in the door.

"I apologize," Makiko said softly. "Young tend to forget their good manners when anything captures their attention. I hope they didn't make you uncomfortable."

"Not at all," Kagome answered. She leaned over to take a piece of fruit from a bowl and elbowed Inuyasha out of her way. "It's not me they were staring at, couldn't you tell?"

Inuyasha snorted and grabbed the fruit from her hand. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She snatched it back playfully. "Come on, what's the use in staring at a few humans when you're so much more interesting? Didn't you hear them talking about you, pointing at Tessaiga?"

"Yeah, I heard it," he muttered. So they all were staring at him, big deal. He was used to the scorn full-blood youkai visited upon hanyou half-breeds like himself. It just made him all the more certain in his mind that he was right in never coming here and equally resolved to get the hell out as soon as he could manage it. Just because his brother didn't feel like starting a fight right now didn't mean the bastard didn't have something more unpleasant in mind.

He suddenly lost his appetite and pushed his bowl away with a scowl.

Makiko decided they were finished, noting the dark look that had appeared on the hanyou's face. _You'd think he'd show more grace at being in his father's home_, she thought. The half-demon seemed to be more a sulky child than a fierce warrior.

Everyone in the fortress was aware by now that Sesshomaru-sama's mysterious younger brother had arrived. It was time to get them away from the general populace before the poor hanyou was overwhelmed by their curiosity.

"If you've all finished eating, I will show you to your rooms so that you may rest."

oOo

For a moment, she had no idea where she was. Sango's eyes opened in darkness and she had to restrain herself from jumping out of bed and reaching for Hiraikotsu. Memory flooded back to her and she breathed a sigh of relief.

She'd been dreaming about something that scared her, it was muddy and indistinct now. She sat up gingerly, her body protesting that it would really like a bit more rest now and would she please lay back and let it sleep some more?

Sango grinned and got up anyway, her mind was awake, and she went to the window where she was startled to discover that it was full night already. "I must have slept the day away," she said softly.

Her hand found the latch on the door and she stepped outside onto the small balcony. She'd been surprised when Makiko had led them to separate rooms but it was nice to have a few moments of privacy.

The rooms were beautiful; hers was done in soothing tones of green and blue, pleasing to her tired eyes. Rich drapery covered wide windows, soft exquisite mats kept the chill of stone from her bare feet. Makiko apologized that the room seemed a bit shut up and musty, explaining that these rooms for her and her friends were part of the most secure wing of the fortress. They were not often used, even if they were dusted religiously by the household's staff.

Sango didn't find anything to complain about and had sunk into the softness of the bed with barely enough conscious thought to remove her footwear before dropping into a heavy sleep.

Now the night air beckoned to her and she sighed, leaning against the cool stone of the balcony's railing. It was indeed a beautiful night and she enjoyed the light breeze that caressed her face. A seldom known feeling of peace washed over the girl's body. Standing on the small balcony, she had a better sense of the fortress' size and scale, the stone implied a feeling of age and permanence she was unaccustomed to.

She ran her hands over the intricately carved stone, wondering how many youkai hands had done the same over the years. She smiled, realizing that hers were the first human ones that had likely done so.

Sango heard a light step behind her and turned. He was standing in the doorway, the wind lifting his hair and turning it into a billowing cloud. She smiled at the sight of him, unable to help herself against the powerful attraction that rushed through her body whenever she saw his face.

"I didn't hear you come in, can you walk through walls or something?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Too much trouble to walk through walls. I had to use the door."

She blinked, she wasn't sure but she thought that might have actually been a joke from Sesshomaru. His expression was remote, his eyes shining in the shadows. It wasn't like she hadn't been expecting him to come to her, but she wished he'd let his face show some indication of how he felt about it.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked quietly.

"Angry with you?" He frowned slightly. He didn't understand why she thought he might be. Certainly Jano has pressed his luck in bringing them here, Sesshomaru wasn't sure what had been going through his bodyguard's mind to do such a thing. But angry with Sango?

"Why should I be angry with you?"

She looked at her feet. "I know you don't want me here."

"Have I said as such?" Sesshomaru wasn't used to people making assumptions about what he wanted or didn't want. If nothing else, he liked to think himself as direct for a youkai. Those who pleased him, he favored. Those who displeased him learned from their mistakes quickly or did not live long enough to err again.

"Then you're not unhappy to have me here?" Sango asked.

Her innocence was mystifying. Sesshomaru would have thought she understood him better by now. But she was human and he smiled, realizing that her body did not come equipped with the instincts to read his moods and intent. Instead she would be compelled to wonder; to draw out the responses that another youkai would take for granted.

He remembered how once his father had told him that humans needed broad signals to read, how you had to use the right words to make sure they understood what you wanted. Demons possessed different senses and wider perceptions.

If Sango were a youkai she'd have no doubt of his pleasure in seeing her now. Her body would have read the response in his, the pheromonal tide of scent, the minute relaxation of his stance. The way he could read how her whole body was yearning for him, the flush of her skin and the increasing race of her pulse spoke volumes to the demon lord.

"I am not unhappy," he told her.

Sesshomaru moved closer, reaching out to stroke her cheek. The girl's eyes lit up with pleasure at his touch and Sango moved closer so she could lay her hands on his chest. Could he tell how much she wanted him, needed him? Did it disgust him to have a human craving his lightest touch?

"I'm glad you aren't angry."

Broad signals. He pulled her close and tenderly pressed his lips against hers. Sango let herself melt against him, her arms winding around his neck as she kissed him back as passionately as she knew how. His tongue caressed hers, delicately stroking her lips as he absorbed himself in the taste of her. Sango responded by letting herself nibble on his lower lip, feeling his soft sigh of pleasure when he felt her teeth.

Sesshomaru pulled himself away from the intoxication of her mouth and cradled the girl's face against his neck. "No more talking," he whispered.

He felt Sango nod against his chest, her fingers winding tighter in the fabric of his clothing. It was all he could do not to fall to the floor and have her right there. He didn't want that, not this time. Now he wanted to show her a different side of youkai, of him. He would show her gentleness so she'd know to never be afraid of him, there need never be another misunderstanding or miscommunication. He could teach her how to understand him and learn to divine what she needed in return.

Then Sango pushed herself away from him, her hand finding his as she drew him back inside with a shy and playful look in her lovely eyes. Bemused, he allowed himself to be led, following the girl whose fingers pressed against his own. Sango was smiling, a sweet anticipation in her face. Even a demon lord could be seduced by it and he stood quite still, allowing her human hands to wander freely over his skin, the soft silk of his clothes whispering to the floor as she undressed him.

Her body pressed against his, her fingertips tracing slow lazy caresses down the smooth lines of his back. He lifted her chin to look at her face and Sango caught her breath at the tenderness in those golden eyes. How had she ever thought them cold, how had she ever thought Sesshomaru to emotionless?

The passion in his gaze took her breath away. His arm slipped around her waist and Sango let out a short laugh of surprise when he lifted her easily, drawing her against him and sank onto the waiting futon, letting her body fall across his in a languorous embrace.

Her dark hair fell like a curtain around her face and Sesshomaru stroked the girl lightly, her lips firm on his and the sweet taste of her filling his senses. It was Sango that broke their kiss, leaving him hungry for more. A soft and serious expression fell over her face and she gently stroked the hair back from his eyes. Her hands and lips then wandered down his neck and chest in a sensuous tour, filling him with pleasurable sensations as she kissed and explored every inch of his body.

Relaxed and completely at ease, Sesshomaru closed his eyes, his fingertips brushing against her hair. He smiled to himself, enjoying the feel of Sango's tongue tickling against his ribs, making him burn for her. His human wanted to make love to him and for once he could relax and let the warm feelings wash over him in unhurried bliss.

Sango was lost in him the taste and texture of his pale, soft skin on her tongue excited her in ways she'd never thought of, the slow steady pulse of him warmed her hands. He was so perfectly beautiful, so exquisite that she forgot to be intimidated or fearful. She concentrated on exploring the essence of her youkai, feeling his body answering hers in a passionate dance of response.

Sesshomaru hissed softly as she took him inside her mouth, the almost unbearably sweet friction of her tongue making him lose himself. Her touch made him crazy, willing to promise anything, give everything, and deny nothing as long as she belonged only to him. He couldn't bear it any longer, he had to touch her, hold her, wrap her body around his and taste her skin.

He sat up, reaching for her to pull her up and meet his lips, squeezing her tight against him. His mouth devoured hers as the desire for her made him reckless, his sharp claws shredding the light yukata she wore. Sango's only response was to hold onto him harder, her arms aching as she dug her fingers into the lean muscles of his back. He nuzzled against her chest, sighing as Sango buried her face in the silkiness of his hair.

Arching her back, Sango cried out softly as he took the tip of her breast into his mouth. His lips suckled her skin, making her shiver with pleasure as his tongue probed at her hard, aroused nipples. He loved the taste of her almost as much as he loved the shuddering response his attentions were drawing from her body. She moaned and buried both hands in his hair, yearning against him.

Sesshomaru nibbled at her as if she were a sweet, erotic confection he had become addicted to. Unable to restrain himself another moment longer, Sesshomaru lay back on the bed and shifted their positions so she could raise herself on her knees and allow him access. As he slid into her, finding her warm and ready for him, they both sighed as one at being joined again.

Suddenly dizzy, blood was rushing to her head and Sango pressed her palms against Sesshomaru's chest to steady herself before surrendering to the movement her hips demanded. Her eyes closed, abandoning all but this one thing. Everything else around her became a blur, her mouth was dry, her pulse was pounding and she was only conscious of the presence of the man beneath her body.

Sesshomaru couldn't take his eyes from her face. He'd been dreaming of her, haunted by her. His hand slid around to cup the sweet curve of her hips, guiding their motions into a tighter, more urgent rhythm. He watched as her skin took on an even rosier tone, perspiration making her glisten and shimmer as she concentrated on taking what she wanted from him. He could give it freely, no reservations and no need to hold back.

Gasping, feeling driven half insane by the rocking friction of her hips, he arched his back and thrust against her, raising her up, her legs spreading still wider apart. Sango threw back her head, her voice crying out in exultation as she came, and the shock of her climax turning her into a wild thing. She collapsed across his chest, trembling even as his arm held her tighter, his hips driving against hers and a feral snarl ripped from his lips when he tensed, shuddered violently and crushed her to him with her face buried in his neck.

They stilled then, Sango's chest heaving as she tried to recover and Sesshomaru willing the wild youki inside his body to subside. Demon and human, the youkai and the exterminator held each other in the darkness, in a bed made warm and musky.

Sesshomaru listened to the sound of her pulse slowing and her breathing becoming deeper as her head lolled against his shoulder. He brushed his lips against her forehead, reveling in the sweetness of her limp and satisfied body. Pleasure filled him, preparing to follow her into sleep and his hand reached to stroke her hair.

Sango sighed at his touch, burrowing deeply into his shoulder and spoke. "I love you."

_What?_

His eyes opened slowly, the words echoing in his mind.

_She loved him?_


	11. Eleven

_**Chapter Eleven**_

The little hanyou sat alone in his mother's garden, trying not to cry and failing miserably. It had been only five days since she'd died, but he couldn't quite understand the concept of death or why she'd left. Inuyasha just wanted his mother to come back to him.

The fever that had taken her life had raged for weeks before she finally succumbed. Half out of her mind with delirious visions, she'd spent much of the time crying out for his father. That had only angered grandfather more and it was Inuyasha who bore the brunt of the family's grief and loss.

No one would even look at him, as if the young child were somehow to blame for the loss of their beloved Izayoi. Even at her memorial service, with his grandfather's household gathered for mourning, the white haired little boy was shoved to the back, left to stand with his mother's old nurse, Masani.

It was because of Masani that he'd even gotten to say goodbye to his mother at all. The old woman was mostly senile herself by now, but she loved Izayoi more than anything and finally recognized that the ailing woman must be calling for her child as well as her long dead husband. She crept into the sickroom one night; little Inuyasha cuddled against her chest and sat the boy on the edge of his mother's bed.

Even sick as she was, she knew her son and reached for him, stroking the soft silvery hair. "You look more like your father every day," she whispered. The fever had already robbed her of much of her beauty, leaving her face thin, pale and pinched. Inuyasha took hold of his mother's hand carefully, the bones felt like fragile sticks under the dry, brittle skin.

"Mama, when are you going to get better?"

Izayoi smiled at that, she'd had a slight break in the fever and knew that it wouldn't be long now. "I'll be better soon, Inuyasha. I'm going to have to go away, I won't see you for a very long time."

"Where are you going?" His little ears perked up, he'd been hoping that she'd be able to play with him again soon. She simply smiled and stroked his hair.

"I'm going to see your father. He's waiting for me."

"Can't I go with you?" He wanted to see his father too; he wanted to know if he was as wonderful as mama always said he was. Grandfather said he was a monster, a fearsome youkai that had cursed their household with a half-breed child. His mother said he was gentle and kind, with a laugh that could fill the sky. Inuyasha wanted to know what the truth really was.

Izayoi's eyes filled with tears. "You can't go with me where I'm going. You have to stay here and be my brave little son. You have important things to do in your life, I only wish I could be here to watch you grow into a fine young man. Remember always, Inuyasha, I love you more than anything else in the world and I will always be watching over you."

He started to cry again when he thought about that, wiping the tears from his cheeks shamefully. He wasn't brave or important; he was just scared and lonely. Nobody talked to him, nobody wanted him around. Children his age were scared of his little fangs and claws, his strange eyes. Older children liked to gang up on him and hurt him. He fought back as best he could by slicing at them with his puny baby claws.

After they'd gotten good and scratched up a few times, they'd figured out they needed to hold him down if they wanted to hit him.

When his mother's memorial service was finished, his grandfather had taken him aside. For a brief moment, Inuyasha thought the distant man might actually want to comfort his grandson, but he was mistaken. Grandfather's eyes were hard, lines of grief still marking his face.

"As you are my daughter's child you will remain here with us even though your mother has passed away. There are those who say I should turn you out, let you fend for yourself like the wild creature you are. If I had a choice, I'd send you to live with your father's people."

"Why can't you send me to them?" the little boy asked. He was frightened of his grandfather, the stern man who never smiled. Mama said he was still angry about what had happened years ago, angry with Inuyasha's father, but she refused to tell him more.

"I can't send you to them because I don't know how. Not once in the five years since your father's death has any one of his people come seeking his son. I can only assume they are ashamed of your human blood as much as we despise your demon heritage. You will live here until you are old enough to take care of yourself. I won't have it said that I turned my daughter's son out to starve in the wilderness."

Inuyasha's stomach knotted with burning pain. He couldn't stay here, not without his mother. Better to be alone in the woods than be kicked around anymore. Still, it frightened him. Here was all he'd ever known; he'd never even been outside his mother's beloved garden. It still smelled like her in this place, that smell was the only comfort he had left. He squared his little shoulders, he had to be brave for her and take care of himself.

"I'm going to find father's people," he said softly, looking up at the tall garden wall.

The wall was very high, much taller than a man's height, but the hanyou didn't know of any other way out. He crouched, tensing his legs underneath him. He could do this; he could jump over the wall. He gathered his strength and jumped with all his might.

He was flying, the feeling was incredible! The little boy found himself soaring right over the garden wall like he'd done it a thousand times before. The ground rushed up to meet him and the boy's eyes got wide. He hadn't thought about landing! He slammed into the ground with a notable lack of grace and tumbled end over end before he finally slid to a stop in a dusty pile of hair and dirt.

Inuyasha sat up, he'd bitten his tongue rather dramatically and the taste of his own blood filled his mouth. It hurt, but his pride was already too sore for him to start crying over it. He got to his feet, wobbling a little and looked around at his newly won freedom.

"That was pathetic," a soft voice said.

Inuyasha spun around, looking for the source. Had one of grandfather's men seen his escape? Were they going to take him back? Did he want them to? Nobody was around, the sky was getting dark and Inuyasha felt distinctly uneasy, knowing someone was watching from the shadows.

"Where are you?" he called, hoping his voice didn't sound too timid.

"Up here, stupid." Inuyasha looked up into the nearest tree and found himself staring into a pair of golden eyes exactly the same shade of his own. A young man was lounging on a branch, a faint annoyed scowl on his otherwise handsome face. Inuyasha stared at him. Eye color wasn't the only thing they had in common; a long sweep of pure white hair fell over the stranger's shoulder, held back in a severe looking topknot.

"Who are you?" the hanyou breathed.

"Who are you," the young man echoed in a mocking tone. "You don't have a nose, half-breed? You can't tell I'm inuyoukai?"

He flushed, he hadn't thought about it. The young youkai swung to the ground with an easy grace that the small hanyou could envy. He stalked over, looking at the child like he was an insect, something dirty that had washed up on the road.

"I heard she was dead. Is it true?"

"My...my mother?" Inuyasha stammered. He found himself backing away from this unpleasant creature. He'd dreamed of seeing another demon someday, but now his body was starting to sense that another demon might find a tiny hanyou easy prey.

"Yes," the demon hissed. "I mean the human wench that gave you life. Is she really dead?"

Inuyasha scowled, just because the demon was bigger didn't mean that he got to insult his mother. "She died five days ago. What's it to you?"

"It's nothing to me," the youkai shot back, his face showing a disgust at the idea. "I was just curious, I wanted to find out if it was true. Now that I've had a look at you, I can see you aren't worth my time, half-breed."

"Who are you?" Inuyasha shouted. He didn't care if the older demon would take him apart; he just wanted to know why he looked so much like him. He wanted to know where he came from. Unfriendly or not, he might know where to find father's people.

The youkai looked back at him, smirking as his silky hair slid over his shoulder. "Haven't figured it out yet, brat? Didn't that wench tell you that you had a brother?"

"You're my brother?" the child asked, his eyes wide. "You're Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha drew closer only to see his brother recoil in disgust.

"Unfortunately, we are half-brothers. I don't know what father was thinking when he took a human sow as a lover, much less that he bothered to sire a child on her."

"Don't you talk about her like that!" Inuyasha was angry, he could feel a sense of fury building inside him. He ran at his brother, raising his little claws to fight. "You take that back!"

Sesshomaru stepped out of his way, easily avoiding the furious little strikes. "Clumsy, stupid and slow, your human blood is showing, little brother," he sneered.

Inuyasha was so angry he didn't realize that he had tears pouring down his face. He dropped to the ground, realizing he couldn't even touch him. He wasn't big enough to defend his mother; he wasn't big enough to make his brother eat those words. Inuyasha couldn't stop the tears and he didn't care what the demon thought. He missed her so badly. He was so alone.

Looking down at the crying child, Sesshomaru felt something close to pity stir his heart. And then he was angry, almost angry enough to tear the little half-breed to pieces. He would not feel pity for a filthy hanyou; he would not let himself be made vulnerable by feeling sorry for anything so worthless.

"Quit your blubbering," he snapped. "At least try to act like a half a demon. Don't insult my father's memory by sobbing like a lost little girl!"

Inuyasha wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Go away."

"Gladly. I have no desire to linger around a pathetic sniveling runt like you." Sesshomaru turned to stalk away, annoyed. Why had he come here, just out of curiosity? Why should he care about what happened to the runt? Lingering bitterness over his father's death filled him and he was more disgusted with himself for even wanting to look at the hanyou.

It was an embarrassment to the bloodline, he was glad he'd never sought to find Izayoi or her son when his father died. He was convinced that he was right to ignore them in the first place.

A small voice stopped him. "Sesshomaru?"

He glanced back at the brat, eyes narrowed. "What is it now?"

Inuyasha didn't know why, but he didn't want to see his brother leave. He was really the only family he had left, the humans didn't want him and he didn't know how to survive on his own. He was mean, he was nasty and he'd insulted Izayoi. But Inuyasha didn't have any better choices.

"Would you take me with you?"

Unbelievable. "Why should I do that?" he asked harshly.

Inuyasha looked at the ground. "I'm scared to be alone. I want to be with people who are like me, like you are..."

Crossing the short distance between them, Sesshomaru pounced on the little boy and slapped him hard across the face. "We are nothing alike," he growled, his eyes flashing. "You are weak and worthless. You belong to be with humans that are just as weak. That you admit you are afraid just proves that you are nothing like real youkai and you never will be. I don't want to have a whining pup like you for a brother. I'm going to forget that you were ever even born!"

The little hanyou sat on the ground, his face burning painfully where his brother had struck him. It was just like grandfather had said, just like the other children had taunted. He was nothing, not even his own brother wanted him, disgusted by his half-breed blood.

Inuyasha felt his mouth trembling again and grimly fought back the tears. He wasn't going to let anyone make him cry, not ever again. And when he was older, he was going to find that Sesshomaru again and make him sorry he'd ever insulted his mother. He got up, dusted off his dirty clothes and started to climb back into his mother's garden.

When he was older, when he was stronger, he'd never let himself need anyone ever again.

oOo

Inuyasha was startled out of a deep sleep, barely recalling an unpleasant dream. He looked around for a moment, not quite remembering where he was. An unfamiliar smell was in his nostrils and he didn't know the room he was in. Goddamnit, he'd fallen asleep. He cursed himself briefly and got up from the floor.

He'd fallen asleep in a room that belonged to his brother of all things. He couldn't believe it.

Stretching, he worked out kinks in muscles that had tensed up during the night. When that Makiko had led him to this room, he'd realized he needed some rest, but there was no way in a thousand hells he was going to sleep anywhere that Sesshomaru could get at him.

Inuyasha had propped himself up against the wall, eyeing the soft-looking bedding with thinly veiled contempt. Bunch of inbred damn lapdogs here, probably as soft as spoiled house pets from what he'd seen. He doubted if any of them knew what it was like to live alone in the wilds, fend for themselves. He didn't feel easy sleeping under roofs, much less ones that belonged to a demon household.

With a grunt of dissatisfaction, he realized the sleep had probably done him some good. He'd be more alert to face whatever awaited him. Sesshomaru had fucked up, missed his one chance to catch him off his guard. Today he'd get them the hell out of this stone heap and back to finding jewel shards and Naraku.

He hesitated at the door, his hand hovering just over the latch. It was entirely possible that Sango wouldn't want to leave with them. He'd seen the look on her face when she'd seen Sesshomaru.

Not that the cold bastard had even had a word of greeting for the exterminator. Inuyasha's lip curled angrily. Just like he'd figured, the pompous asshole was just using her, like she was just his toy or something like that. Maybe Sango couldn't see it, Kagome would sit him into oblivion if he actually said it, but Inuyasha knew his brother that well.

Kohaku was here, that might be enough of a reason for Sango to stay even if she did know that Sesshomaru was just playing with her. The kid looked all right, a damn sight more healthy than the last time he'd laid eyes on him. Gone was the haunted, pinched look to the boy's face, gone like the fever that had wracked his body.

At least they were taking care of him; gods only knew why they bothered. He'd think a human kid, an exterminator brat no less, would be an object of intense dislike in a fortress filled with full blood youkai. He scratched at his head, fingers working through the tangles in his hair.

It had something to do with that creepy sword, the mate and opposite of his own Tessaiga. He'd felt the pulse from the katana when Sesshomaru had come to take Kohaku away. He hadn't understood at the time. Inuyasha liked to take his time figuring things out, finally deciding that it had to be the sword itself that had told Sesshomaru that the kid was going downhill fast.

It was still a mystery why Sesshomaru had even bothered. His obligation had been fulfilled when he'd taken Kohaku out of Naraku's clutches and thrown him back to his sister like a gift. He didn't have to keep him alive.

Grinning, he opened the door and left his room. He wished he'd been there when Naraku figured out that Kohaku had been freed. It had to burn the son of a bitch to lose his slave; especially the kind of torturous hold it gave him over Sango.

Inuyasha paused when he crossed the doorway where Makiko had settled the monk yesterday. He smirked, reaching out to lift the latch and go wake Miroku. Time for sleeping was over and it was time for action again.

Poking his head inside the room, he scowled when he realized that the monk was long gone. "Great, you couldn't have bothered to wake me up, huh?" he muttered. Miroku was probably getting his face slapped by some youkai girl by now.

He sighed, hoping that it hadn't gotten messy. The monk just had no brains when it came to women, he might not even have the common sense to realize that rubbing the bottom end of females in this household could bring down an angry challenge from some offended dog demon. Not that it would do any good, even a serious beating wouldn't necessarily cure Miroku of his lecherous tendencies.

He couldn't worry about what trouble the monk was getting into. His first priority, as always, was to find Kagome. Inuyasha sniffed the air carefully, sifting through the unfamiliar and surprisingly pleasant smells of inuyoukai. The scents made his ears twitch happily and he had to force himself to stop acting like a puppy.

Just because they smelled right, at least right in a way that he'd never experienced before, didn't mean they were friends. They didn't like humans and they hated hanyou. He wouldn't expect anyone to be friendly to him, because even that damn Jano probably had something up his sleeve.

Inuyasha's nose took him down the hall and a turn at the next corridor. Kagome's fragrance led him right the room where she and Shippou had been sleeping. Even as his hand reached for the door, he realized the girl wasn't inside.

"Am I the last one awake?" he snapped, beginning to be even more pissed off. What the hell were they thinking by wandering around this place without his protection? Didn't they know they were at the mercy of Sesshomaru?

Growling lightly, he stamped down the nearest staircase. He couldn't believe it, he'd out slept them all, him who could go for days without rest! He was the one who was supposed to protect their weak asses when they needed to rest, not the other way around. What the hell was it about this place that had put him into the deepest sleep he'd taken in months?

He found himself outside the same courtyard where they'd arrived yesterday and swore when he saw it was deserted. All right, his nose would find the kitchen next and he'd grab the first demon he saw and start threatening to throttle them if they didn't take him right to his humans.

This wasn't funny, it was damned annoying. He couldn't believe Kagome had so little sense as to go off without him. It kind of hurt his feelings that she didn't need him or want him around.

Just as he started to cross the wide smooth courtyard, something leaped out of the shadows and wrapped its small form around his leg. His eyes got wide as tiny teeth sank themselves into his calf and stared down in disbelief at his attacker. The little girl looked up at him, growling of all things, her mouth full of red fabric.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

She spit the firerat fur out her mouth but didn't let go of his leg. "You're my prisoner. I captured you fair and square."

He grinned in spite of himself. "Your name is Rin, right?" She nodded. "And so you wanna tell me why you're chomping on my leg, kid? Is this a joke or something?"

Her eyes flashed. "You are Rin's prisoner, you will do what I say. Don't make me hurt you!"

Inuyasha sighed and shook his head. He swore it never ended. "Okay, I give up. Don't hurt me. So now that you've got me, kid, what are you going to do with me? Torture? Execution?"

She frowned. "Rin hadn't thought about it yet," she confessed.

The hanyou bit back a smile. "I think you should take me to someone with authority to decide my fate," he told her mildly. No sense in arguing with a kid, he'd been around Shippou long enough to know that. "How about Makiko? Do know where she is?"

Rin beamed at him. "Yes! She's giving your friends their breakfast right now. Do you want me to take you to her?"

"You're the one in charge," he said gruffly. He reached down and gently pulled the girl off his leg so he could settle her comfortably on his shoulder. "Show me the way, Rin-sama."

She giggled wildly at that and pointed at doorway across the courtyard. "That way, prisoner. Do as Rin says and I'll ask Makiko for mercy on you."

"I bet," he answered under his breath. He felt small hands winding curiously in his hair.

"You have pretty hair," the girl told him, playing with a tangle of silvery white. "It's not as pretty as Sesshomaru-sama's hair, but I like it anyway."

"Thanks," he growled. He wondered if Sesshomaru liked people telling him his hair was pretty. He doubted it.

Rin giggled to herself and started playing with his ears. "Your hair isn't as pretty, but your ears sure are cute. Rin wishes she had ears like these."

What was the human obsession with his ears anyway? Particularly human females, they'd always made a beeline right for the soft white triangles, cooing and petting them in adoration. It was just as well that it was only the females; he'd personally kill any man that tried to play with his ears.

He winced as Rin tugged on them to make sure they were firmly attached to his head. "Take it easy, kid. Those aren't toys you know!"

He went through a door, made a couple turns and found himself standing in a wide, round cavern. Hearths lined the walls and people were busily running back and forth and calling out to each other. All of them stopped and stared when he appeared in the doorway.

Inuyasha flushed and glared around him with the look that said he'd better not be fucked with. Rin poked him on the shoulder and pointed to a corridor off to his left. "That way, Inuyasha."

"You sure you know where you're going?" he growled, turning his back on the staring youkai. He hated being stared at, always had. First humans, now inuyoukai, couldn't they just leave him be without staring at him like he was a freak?

"Rin knows," she said loftily. "Rin is Sesshomaru-sama's personal bodyguard you know. I protect him from all attackers and plots against him."

Inuyasha sniggered to himself, imagining the tiny child defending the disdainful youkai lord. "Oh so that's it. You're his bodyguard, huh?"

She nodded so vigorously that she nearly slipped off his shoulder. "Here!" she announced, pointing to a door. He opened it and peeked his head inside, breathing a slight sigh of relief when he saw Miroku and Kagome sitting at a table with Shippou and Kohaku.

Kagome looked up and gave him a bright smile. "Well, hello there, sleepyhead!"

He growled but couldn't suppress a grin at finding them all safe and sound. Rin slid off his shoulder and he had to grab quickly to make sure the little girl didn't fall to the ground. She squirmed in his hands and kicked her feet.

"Let me go, damn it!"

He dropped her, glaring. "I should wash your mouth out, runt!"

Rin was completely unrepentant and jumped to cling to Kohaku. The boy grinned and scooted over to the side so she could sit beside him. "Won't do you any good. If Makiko can't scare her, you don't have a chance."

Inuyasha snorted and sat down beside Kagome. "What's the big idea letting me sleep in like that, don't you have any sense or what?"

Kagome rolled her eyes at him and passed the cranky hanyou a big bowl of rice. "You were tired, I just thought maybe some extra sleep would make you less grumpy."

He wolfed down the rice and gave her a sour stare. Inuyasha hoped there'd be more than just rice for breakfast, now that he smelled food, he was absolutely starving.

"You shoulda woke me up, Kagome," he told her, mumbling around the food in his mouth.

Rin leaned her elbows on the table and peered at him curiously. "Makiko said you were snoring like a pig demon, she wasn't sure you'd wake up even if she yelled at you."

"That's not polite, Rin," the woman herself said, entering the room with a big bowl of something savory. She set down the dish in the middle of the table. "I did call to you and try to wake you, Inuyasha. I had no idea hanyou slept that deeply."

He flushed; fully embarrassed by the fact that he hadn't woken instantly and also that she'd seen him curled up and snoring like an exhausted puppy. He caught Miroku's smirk just long enough to flash the monk an angry yellow-eyed glare. Anxious to change the subject, Inuyasha glanced around the room and noticed the absence of one of his human friends.

"Where's Sango, is she still dead asleep too?"

Makiko raised her eyebrow at him and briskly started to clear the table. "I believe she is bathing, I sent Aiko to wake her not long ago." Inuyasha stared as the woman's face flushed a slight pink and she refused to meet his eye.

"Bathing?" he said, a smirk beginning to appear on his face. Makiko shot him a glare.

"It's considered to be the polite thing to do. You could do with a bath yourself, young hanyou. You smell like you've been rolling around in the dirt for far too long. Try to remember that all inuyoukai have sensitive noses and good hygiene is appreciated."

Kagome chuckled at the embarrassed red that crossed her friend's face. "Don't try to argue with her, Inuyasha."

Miroku smiled appreciatively into his breakfast, watching as Makiko swept away out of the room. "I think you'll lose to that one in a battle of wits, my friend."

He buried his nose in his breakfast, the morning stew was thick and savory and he made a show of giving it his full attention. He doubted if the humans had caught the implication about Sango's morning bath. Makiko, he was sure, knew exactly what he meant.

If Kohaku and Rin hadn't been sitting right there, he'd have been more than happy to explain.

oOo

Sango woke slowly, stretching luxuriously as her body began to come to life. She'd been deeply asleep, utterly relaxed and sighed a big sigh of pure contentment. Sunlight was pouring in the open windows and the room was awash with light. Her hand automatically wandered out from her in a searching fashion, but as she would have predicted, Sesshomaru hadn't stayed to wake up with her.

She smiled to herself as she rolled over to put her face in the pillow where the demon had lain. It smelled of him, a wonderful spicy fragrance that made her skin tingle. She felt as warm and content as she ever had in her life.

A soft voice and a tapping sound made her sit up in bed abruptly. "Are you awake, miss?"

The bedroom door cracked open and a young woman's face appeared on the other side. Sango had to make her voice work to respond as the girl entered hesitantly.

"I'm...I'm awake. You can come in."

The young woman grinned at her, mischief sparkling in her dark eyes. She had burnished dark auburn hair held back primly from her face in a long braid. "I hope I didn't startle you, miss. Makiko sent me to see if you were awake and ready for a bath."

Sango smiled shyly, pulling the covers up further around her body. "A bath sounds wonderful. Please don't call me miss, my name is Sango."

The youkai girl had a friendly laugh and turned away for a moment before returning with an armload of clothing. "My name is Aiko, miss. My sister would have my head for her serving bowl if I treated Sesshomaru-sama's lady with anything less than proper respect."

"L...lady?" Sango stammered. "I'm not anybody's lady."

Aiko smiled gently and started to lie out a soft robe. "Regardless of that, you will still be treated with respect," she said firmly and Sango could suddenly see the girl's resemblance to the dark haired Makiko. Aiko's smiled was warm and fun as she looked over at the nervous exterminator.

"How about that bath, miss?"

The girl led Sango to a room where a tub of foamy, warm water was waiting. Sango smiled, enjoying the delicate fragrance of blossoms that filled the room. She was about to go and dip her fingers into the sudsy water when she felt Aiko's hands on her shoulders, trying to remove the robe she had donned just minutes before.

_Surely she's not expecting to bathe me_, Sango thought in consternation. She pulled the sash tight and turned around. "Thanks, I can take care of myself. I'm not an invalid or anything."

Aiko looked confused. "You don't want my assistance? I assure you I am very gentle. Look," she said, holding out her hands. "I filed down the tips of my claws and everything. I know how fragile human skin is and I promise not to scratch you."

Sango blushed. "It's not that, I'm sure you're very gentle. I'm just not used to anyone waiting on me. The village where I grew up was small and I always have done for myself."

The youkai girl raised her eyebrows. "Then this will be a treat for you. I can at least wash your hair, I have no intention of bathing you like a babe, miss." With that, she turned and whisked the robe from Sango before she could mount another protest. "Let me help you into the water, miss. You can just relax, I will take very good care of you."

_She is very gentle_, Sango thought, sitting in the warm water while Aiko's blunt claws massaged her scalp. She wondered briefly if any of her friends were receiving similar treatment and she felt a flash of pity for the poor youkai who got assigned to Inuyasha. Her eyes closed and Sango felt herself drifting on the sweet smells, lulled by the soft purr of Aiko's humming voice.


	12. Twelve

_**Chapter Twelve**_

Sesshomaru stood alone on the top of the tallest tower. From this vantage point he could overlook the entire fortress and most of the valley. The predawn air had a certain chill to it that the demon lord associated with the change of seasons. He stood staring at the sky, waiting for the sun to come up and warm away the deep unease he felt.

As a daiyoukai lord, he felt intimately connected with his territory. Although not fond of touring the countryside or visiting the many individual dens and holds of his lands, he still knew every last one of them, from the chill, isolated and abandoned mountains in the north, to the far more temperate and indolent territories of the south. He knew every step of the rocky coastline and the deepest darkest recesses of the thick forests held no secrets from him.

And so when he'd awakened in the darkest hours before dawn, he felt that tingle, that slight shiver of unease that crawled up his backbone like a spider. Something was wrong somewhere and although instinct was useful for a good many things, it didn't make him prescient, and it didn't make him sleep any easier knowing that there was a darkness creeping like a sickness in his land.

The wind lifted his hair and made it swirl around him, the long fur cloak rippled out, striking into the dark sky like a flail. He frowned slightly, deciding on the next course of action. An observer would have found his stoic and icy expression as unchangeable as the very stones under his feet, it would be impossible to divine his thoughts by trying to read his face.

The youkai lord was brooding over it.

Although he was doing a good job of distracting himself from thinking about the subject, once again his mind wandered back to what he wanted to avoid.

She loved him.

Sesshomaru swore lightly under his breath. What had ever possessed the woman to make a statement like that? He was, after all, a chill and dark demon lord. Powerful. Demanding. He did not inspire feelings of affection, let alone love, in any living creature. He would not let himself be responsible for such emotions; his distrust of the very word was enough reason. He did not love. Sango must be a fool to think so.

Only, and here he allowed himself to chew absently at his bottom lip, he didn't take the exterminator for a fool. She seemed to be a reasonable and intelligent woman. Surely she understood enough of youkai nature for her to understand the absurdity of what she'd said? There were those among youkai who played at those emotions, toying with the psyche of mortal lovers out of some game or jest.

Sesshomaru didn't play games, not with humans, not with anyone. Instead his wrath was lightning quick as he'd never leave any of his people in doubt of his pure demon nature.

Obviously Sango had made a mistake. She had taken the physical response of her body and interpreted it as something else. Yes, that made logical sense of the situation. Either that or she had rationalized her desire for him in such a way for the purpose of accepting it. A woman raised to hunt and kill youkai must have some reservations regarding their attraction. Love might be a suitable excuse, a justification for her continued submission to his power over her body.

Of course, the nagging back of his brain reminded him, Sango's reasoning didn't explain a damn thing about his need for her.

Damn it all, he had fallen into the same trap as his father, pure and simple. Blinded by lust, snared by the delicious taste of her, he'd let himself be drawn in. Hadn't she seduced him, after all? Taking a matter of obligation to the next level, making him want her so badly it kept him awake at night. From the very first time he'd had her; his blood had ached for more.

Honestly, Sesshomaru expected better of himself, self control had been burned into him by his father, the iron will he possessed had been forged and shaped by the hands of the demon that'd sired him.

He was not a half-breed fool like his brother, ignorant of everything about his heritage and undisciplined as a wildfire burning through a forest.

Only, the taste of her, her scent, and the way her hair fell across her cheeks. The sound of her voice calling his name as she gave herself to him fanned the flame of his passion to an excruciating level. She belonged to him, it was sheer youkai possessiveness and he had nothing to feel ashamed of in wanting her. Why should he want to consider her feelings in the first place?

Her whispered confession didn't matter, it certainly didn't change things. He had been surprised, that was all.

It was entirely possible that Sango might not even remember what she'd said. Women often said things in bed that they might not say otherwise and Sesshomaru wasn't one to mistake a tender endearment in the night for something else in the cold light of dawn.

She didn't love him. She couldn't possibly.

A movement behind him caught his attention and he turned to watch Jano appear out of the darkness, moving silently as a deadly shadow. He turned his back to him, his golden eyes still searching the creeping dawn for answers. It was extremely late, or extremely early, depending on your point of view.

However, if he couldn't find rest he saw no reason that Jano should either. His bodyguard stood quietly, waiting to determine the reasons behind the summons.

"My lord?"

Sesshomaru felt a faint smile cross his lips. How formal, apparently Jano was still aware of how much he'd annoyed him with his impulsive behavior. Sesshomaru could hold a grudge better than anyone alive and even his oldest friend and bodyguard didn't expect him to let it go lightly.

"I want you to send the patrols out again," he said without preamble. "There's something brewing out there and I want answers."

Jano scratched at the back of his head, frowning. "It would help if I could tell them what they're looking for."

"I'd tell you if I knew," Sesshomaru murmured.

Jano stared at him, catching the uneasy, uncertain tone of his lord's voice. He scowled, sensing something wrong in the air himself. "I'll see to it," he snapped. This time they'd come back with real information or he'd personally grill them for their laziness. Jano wasn't any more tolerant of sloppiness than Sesshomaru and certain members of the guard lived in fear of his temper.

Sesshomaru raised his hand, asking Jano to wait. The light of the dawn was creeping over the mountains and for a moment he found himself entranced with the growing radiance. "And I also need you to send a messenger to lord Barou in the south. Tell him I request his presence on the full moon. No, that's not a request. Make sure he understands that I insist."

Jano raised an eyebrow. "Barou? You think he's plotting against you?"

His lord gave a humorless laugh. "Of course not. I suspect everyone, but not Barou. He might be able to come up with answers for me; at least he's more observant than the average patrol and more involved in policing his territory than other clanlords. He might be the most suspicious demon ever born, but he pays attention and uses his brain."

_Apt description_, Jano thought to himself. _He's also about as friendly as a nest of hell hornets and vicious to the point of paranoia_. "I'll send someone immediately, my lord."

Sesshomaru nodded and waved his hand to dismiss his friend. Jano paused before descending the steep stair. "Sessh, is there something bothering you?"

"No."

He hesitated, truly not wanting to invade his lord's privacy. The woman's scent was all over him, casting shadows and implications all over the chill gray morning. "You only come up here when something is eating at you. If there's something I can do about it..."

"You've done quite enough." Sesshomaru's voice was cold with a lack of inflection. Jano bit back a reply, wanting to harass Sessh into some kind of confession but thinking he'd probably pushed his luck this week. He turned to go, leaving Sesshomaru to his early morning meditations.

"One more thing, Jano."

His bodyguard turned and saw Sesshomaru looking at him, a faint smirk on his face. "My lord?"

"Take that ridiculous thing off your shoulder. You look like a fool."

oOo

Sango let Aiko lead her through the fortress to join her friends for breakfast. She felt about as conspicuous as anything, following along behind the sweet-faced demon girl. Her hands kept brushing against the soft silk of the delicate kimono, snagging against old blisters and calluses that formed from her repeated use of Hiraikotsu. She'd practically gotten down on her knees and begged Aiko to let her wear her own clothes, figuring her armor wouldn't look all that out of place in a fortress of youkai.

Her face had turned about three different shades of red when Aiko held out the shredded remains of her old yukata. There was a smile in the girl's eyes that Sango could feel all the way down to her toes.

"Will you want this to be repaired, miss?"

There wasn't enough left of it to sew back together, Sango thought, flushing hard. She'd tried to put on her uniform and armor then, earning a stern glare from Aiko.

"Oh I think not, miss."

"What's wrong with it?" Sango wanted to know.

Aiko's raised eyebrows and twist of a smile left the exterminator feeling like she'd already lost the battle. "For a start, this armor is filthy; I can smell the blood from here. That I can clean easily enough and I will make sure it's returned to you, good as new if not better. You look like you could do with something more comfortable, why don't you just try on the kimono. As a favor for me?"

Between the wheedling tone and Sango's realization that her exterminator's uniform was quite dirty, she now found herself traipsing after Aiko and feeling distinctly like a dressed up doll. At least she'd won the war over her hair, flatly refusing to let Aiko do anything more than wash the thick dark tresses and brush them dry. She did let the girl tie a soft ribbon around it to keep it back from her face, which was at least practical.

She couldn't say the same of her new clothing, the pale lavender of the silk brought out the color in her eyes, so Aiko said. Sango didn't know that she wanted her eyes brought out in any such way.

_How can I fight in something like this_, she thought, cranky with imposed finery.

"Sis!" Kohaku's voice immediately lightened her mood and Sango went with unabashed delight to hug her little brother. She ruffled his hair and snuggled him tight, it felt so wonderful whenever she saw him.

"You look really pretty," he said, smiling at her.

"Shut up," she said, trying to hold back a laugh. "I'm just wearing this because my armor is too dirty and so are my other clothes." Kohaku didn't seem to notice and dragged her over to the table. Her cheeks were pink as she tried not to look at her friends. Kagome was smiling widely, Miroku was undoubtedly thinking something perverted. Inuyasha was so involved with his food that he wouldn't have noticed if she'd walked in stark naked.

He finally looked up and grunted. "You can't fight wearing something like that. Make sure they give your armor back before we leave."

He yelped when Kagome's hand smacked the back of his head. "You are so rude, I think Sango looks lovely."

Sango accepted a bowl of rice from Miroku, who had a slightly wistful look on his face. "The color does suit you, Sango."

"Thank you, houshi-sama," she answered softly. She met his eyes and saw only approval. "Aiko forced me into it; I didn't want to wear this fluffy thing."

"Good. I'm glad she's done her job so well," Makiko said, smiling at the exterminator from the doorway. "I trust my sister kept a polite tongue in her head while you bathed?"

Sango nodded and started to attack her breakfast. It kept her mouth busy so she didn't have to answer any embarrassing questions. She was taking a sip of the fragrant hot tea when Kohaku nudged her. "Where's Kirara, sis?"

The exterminator glanced around as if she expected the cat to appear out of thin air. She vaguely remembered the soft white form cuddling up against her when she had first lain down to sleep the day before. "I don't know, Kohaku. She wasn't with me when I woke up this morning."

_She must have left when Sesshomaru came to see me_, Sango decided. She had wondered what the cat would do when confronted with the demon lord. At least she didn't attack him. But now Kirara's absence had her confused. It wasn't like her to hide; she would have thought her friend would have sought out Kohaku, or maybe Kagome and Shippou, if she didn't want to stay in the same room with her mistress.

"Makiko-san, do you think someone could find Kirara for me? I don't want her wandering around alone."

Makiko started to reply and then abruptly covered her face to smother a laugh. "I think that's taken care of."

Sango looked over her shoulder and had to suppress a grin herself. Jano was standing in the doorway, a dour expression on his handsome face, a white kitten fast asleep on his shoulder. "I think I have something that belongs to you."

"I'm sorry," Sango said, trying to hold back a giggle at the unlikely pair. The sight of the tall, intimidating bodyguard and the adorable kitten tickled her for some reason. "I hope she wasn't any trouble for you."

His dark eyes glinted humorously. "All I know is that last night I went to bed alone and this morning I woke with her curled up on top of my head. Surprised the hell out of me, I thought I was being attacked when I heard the purring."

Kirara yawned, stretching out her claws and wrapped her twin tails tighter around Jano's neck. One of her eyes opened to regard Sango soberly for a moment before snuggling tighter against the bodyguard. A contented purr vibrated in the tiny chest and slow flush crept over the tips of Jano's ears.

He dropped down into the seat next to the exterminator and grinned. "I can't persuade her to leave."

"Kirara," Sango said, trying to dislodge the feline. The small claws had a deathgrip on the black leather of Jano's armor. She resisted Sango's attempt to pull her away and purred even louder, nudging the top of her head hard against the bodyguard's jaw. Rin and Shippou couldn't help themselves any longer and started to dissolve into silent giggles.

Jano sighed. "As fond as I am of female admiration, even I have my limits."

Sango finally managed to extract the claws from Jano long enough to yank the cat off his shoulder. Kirara gave a purely discontented yowl and shot across the breakfast table, knocking things out of her way deliberately with her tails. Kohaku managed to rescue the teapot and Kagome and Miroku moved quickly to gather the bowls that had clattered to the floor.

Makiko's eyes were fairly sparkling at Jano's uncomfortable expression. He scowled faintly, knowing this story was going to make its way all through the household staff and beyond. His dignity was definitely going to take a beating from this incident and resigned himself to the teasing that was sure to come.

"I can't help it if females find me irresistible."

"Oh please," Makiko snorted, a smug look still on her face. "Try not to let it go to your head, unless you really want to go around with a kitten attached to you. I'm sure the household guard would find it most amusing."

"They have enough to laugh about already," Jano said gruffly. He glanced around at the humans and let his eyes fall on the young hanyou. "So how was your evening? I hope everyone rested well."

"Some better than others," Kagome said, her eyes twinkling as she nudged Inuyasha. He snorted and looked at her out the corner of his eye. She'd been poking, nudging or whacking him a lot recently. It seemed like she was using any excuse to touch him and although he had been annoyed by her suddenly tactile behavior at first, he couldn't say it bothered him now.

"So are we free to leave or what?" he asked bluntly.

Jano blinked at him. "Of course, I haven't given anyone orders to stop you from going anywhere you want inside the fortress or if you leave. And everyone here knows you're my guests and no harm will come to you within these walls."

His face broke into a slow grin, the challenge evident in his gaze. "I can't promise the same when you leave."

"What about Kohaku?" Sango asked, her voice soft. She wasn't sure she was ready to leave just yet, but she knew she didn't want to be parted from her brother again so soon.

"Kohaku is not free to leave," Jano said flatly, standing up and heading for the door. He still had a lot he needed to do this morning and it wasn't his place to discuss Kohaku's situation. "That's not my decision to make, but you are free to take it up with Sesshomaru-sama if you wish."

Her brother's hand curled into hers and Sango looked at him. "I'm sorry I'm so much trouble, sister. You can go if you don't want to stay here. I'll be fine with Makiko and Rin."

"You're not trouble," she burst out. "It's not your fault what happened, not your fault that bastard put a shard in your back and made you his slave." He opened his mouth to protest and she covered it with her hand. "No, Kohaku. Don't you even think of apologizing for what was done to you."

The boy's eyes were suddenly full of tears. "I missed you so much, " his voice choked and rough. "I was always so scared, I didn't mean to kill father and the others. Please don't leave without me!"

Sango held her brother as he cried into her chest, wetting the fine silk of her kimono. At long last, Kohaku was managing to vent the grief and pain that had filled him for so long.

"Hush," she whispered, rocking him back and forth like he was still a baby.

A comforting hand touched her shoulder and she felt Miroku's silent support as she held her brother. Kagome's eyes were shining with tears and even Inuyasha's face was flushed with some unspoken emotion. They wouldn't leave without her and she wouldn't leave without Kohaku. They might have to rely on Sesshomaru's hospitality for a little while longer, but after last night, she didn't think the demon lord had any intention of running them out of his fortress any time soon.

Makiko was smiling gently at the scene when she noticed the confusion on Rin's face at Kohaku's sudden emotional outburst of tears. The sight upset her; she liked the boy very much and didn't understand what was making him cry. Makiko reached over to take Rin's hand.

"Let's go, little one. The cooks have made up some sweet buns for lunch and will need your help to taste them."

Shippou's ears perked up at that. "Can I go too?"

She gave the hopeful kitsune an appraising glance. "All right, you can come too. But keep yourself out of mischief, young fox. I'm quite aware of kitsune tricks and I won't hesitate to relieve you of your tail if you give me reason."

Shippou didn't look too alarmed at her words, being somewhat used to threats having received them at least three times a day from Inuyasha. He happily followed Makiko and Rin, hoping the sweet buns were going to be as tasty as breakfast. He'd already eaten his weight in food, but the fox thought something sweet would just top off a good morning.

Rin seemed to agree with this as she let Makiko lead her away and wore a docile expression. The little girl looked up at the serene youkai and frowned. "Makiko, what made Kohaku cry?"

"That's not easy to explain, Rin," the woman said quietly. "Something very terrible was done to him, he was hurt very badly. Don't pester him about it," she added when Rin started to ask another question. They had reached the kitchen and Makiko led her young charges to a corner where the fragrant smell of fresh baking filled the air.

Shippou sniffed happily when Makiko placed a pile of sweet, sticky looking morsels in front of them. "Now behave yourselves," she admonished.

Leaving Rin and the kitsune munching away gleefully at the sweets, Makiko turned to other matters that required her attention. She'd been spending far too much time playing nursemaid to humans. Not that she really minded the extra duties, Kohaku was delightfully polite for a human and it had pleased her to see him returning to a state of health. Jano had told her just enough about what the boy had been through, having heard the story from Sesshomaru-sama himself, to fill her with sympathy for the poor child.

Still, a household this size didn't run itself and as head of staff, Makiko's time and energy was much in demand.

She was in the process of sorting out an ongoing dispute between the head cook and his assistant when she noticed her young half-sister Aiko crossing the kitchen with a stack of linens. She waved her hand to get the girl's attention and saw her immediately swerve in response.

"Yes, sister?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I approved of your choice of clothing for the human woman. Very fetching, quite suitable."

Aiko grinned, her sister rarely approved wholeheartedly of anything. "She fought against it, let me tell you. That one has a mind of her own, even for a human. Almost had to wrestle her into the bath to make her let me groom her hair. I don't know if it was prudish human modesty or something else."

Makiko sighed, shuffling through the small ledger that was part of her inventory. "I imagine she was unsettled by having demon hands touch her."

Her sister snickered suddenly, her eyes sparkling wickedly. "Not all demon hands. You were right to send me to bathe her, she needed it badly. The smell was indecent!"

Glaring, Makiko snapped the book shut and regarded her younger sister. "Aiko, for the last time, keep a civil tongue in your head. That's your lord that you're referring to so casually."

Aiko was unrepentant. "I'm not the only one talking, the story is all over the household by now that Sesshomaru-sama has taken a human for a lover." She sighed and leaned on her elbows, a wistful expression on her young face. "There are some mighty jealous ladies in the court right now, I wouldn't be surprised if that nice human got some challenges over it."

Disapproval written all over her face, Makiko reached out to tweak her sister's ear. "She will not, Sesshomaru-sama has already forbidden any youkai to so much as touch any of the humans. A challenge to one of them, formal or not, would be a death sentence. If you're going to spread tales, sister, spread that one so that no one gets any stupid ideas."

Her sister smirked. "I'd say it's unnecessary, that woman looked like she could take care of herself. I had to send her gear to the armory for cleaning. Her weapons have seen hard use also. Personally, I'd like to see her take on one of those arrogant little bitches..."

"Aiko," she said warningly.

Her sister shrugged, sensing a good time to change the subject. "Don't worry, sister, I won't spread rumors to start anything."

"Good," Makiko said shortly, going back to her ledgers. Aiko regarded her thoughtfully.

"Actually, most of the young females aren't paying much attention to the humans. They're far more curious about Sesshomaru-sama's brother. After all these years, he's finally come home and they're dying to find out what he's really like. You talked to him, didn't you?"

"Yes," her sister said, smiling a little. "He's extremely rude, has no manners, a foul mouth and a fouler temper."

Aiko raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

Her sister nodded and then frowned when the dreamy, wistful expression returned to Aiko's eyes. "It doesn't matter, I heard he was beautiful to look at. All the staff is talking about it. You don't think maybe he also needs a bath?"

Makiko tried to look disapproving but couldn't help herself and started to laugh at Aiko's presumption. "He does, but I think he'll fight harder than that woman did if you try to help him. That's one rough young pup and it's very obvious he hates being here at all."

"Why?" Aiko asked, curious. "Why should he hate his own people? Unless maybe Sesshomaru-sama..." Aiko face flushed and she glanced down at the floor nervously.

Makiko smiled at her sister, her hand going out to pat the girl's arm. "There is more going on here than just a young outcast hanyou returning home. It's a private matter between the lord and his brother.

"It's not our place to question the hatred that bonds them so."


	13. Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Miroku nudged Kagome's elbow. "Maybe we should give Kohaku and Sango a bit of privacy?"

She nodded and stood up, smiling with a misty look in her eyes, and reached for Inuyasha's hand. "Come on."

He followed her willingly enough, that was a good indication that he was also moved by the scene. Kagome glanced up at the hanyou's face and wondered what he was thinking about. Miroku followed them a few steps behind, likewise silent with his own contemplations. Kagome made a small, satisfied sound as they quietly slid the door shut and left Sango and Kohaku alone.

Kagome couldn't stop smiling. It was so sad, but so beautiful. She knew a barrier had existed between Sango and her brother, that barrier was the death of their father. Maybe now they could get past it. Her conversations with the traumatized boy led her to know that he felt deeply guilty and unworthy because of the crimes he'd committed.

She let herself wonder how many people Naraku had forced the boy to kill, she had a feeling it was considerably more than they had personally witnessed. Her light sigh drew a quizzical glance from Inuyasha and she felt his warm fingers curling against her own, careful as ever not to nick her with his razor sharp claws.

She wasn't sure why he was letting her hold his hand this long, normally he would have flushed in embarrassment and so would she. It just seemed right at the moment and she was grateful that the tension between them was finally starting to ease. Although she was still hurt over what had happened, she knew he'd never meant to cause her any pain.

Kagome peeked up at his face again. Inuyasha's expression was thoughtful and relaxed as she had rarely seen it and he seemed unaware of her scrutiny. That made her smile. The gruff hanyou was probably as moved as she was but not as willing to demonstrate it.

To let him know she understood, her free hand stole around to clasp his arm and she leaned against him lightly. He looked down at her as they walked and she smiled into his eyes.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, feeling quite close and comfortable knowing that even though he professed a disdain for such mushy moments, he was still affected.

Inuyasha frowned slightly. "Just that we can't leave right now, Sango needs some time with her brother. We should give it to her, they've been through a lot."

She was surprised at his sensitivity, but it still warmed her heart to hear him say it. Kagome's head leaned firmer against his shoulder and her fingers laced against his. "I'm glad you understand. It would be wrong to force her to choose between going with us and staying with him."

"I don't mind," he said smiling a little. "I don't want to be here, but it's important for Sango. Besides, as soon as Sesshomaru decides he's done fucking her, he'll probably toss her out of here anyway. A few extra days are no big deal to me."

She froze, shocked by the bluntness of his words. "Inuyasha!"

He was confused by the annoyed flush on her cheeks and the angry sparkle in her eyes. "What?"

She yanked her hands away from him. "I can't believe you can be so crude and mean!"

"It's the truth," he snapped. Gods, why was he the only one that could see it? "He's just using her, Kagome, don't tell me you think that bastard has suddenly developed feelings. Once he's tired of spreading her legs, it will be like she never existed."

"You don't know that!" Kagome wasn't defending Sesshomaru as much as she was defending Sango. She sensed that what had been going on was a lot more important to the exterminator than Inuyasha wanted to realize.

He smirked. "I do so know that, so should Sango. That's what demons do with mortal women. Seduce them, take what they want, and when they get bored, throw them away. Come on, what other use could a youkai like Sesshomaru have for her? She's human, how could she be anything to him but a fuck?"

Kagome's flushed face suddenly went pale. "You really believe that, don't you? A demon couldn't want a human for anything other than just sex or a casual, meaningless affair. No matter how much the human cares about the demon, even if she loved him, he wouldn't return it, right?"

"You do understand," he said, breaking into a smile. He couldn't have made it any simpler but at least Kagome got the big picture now. Then he noticed that her eyes had darkened considerably and her breath was coming out in angry pants. "Kagome?"

"I understand all too well," she snarled and shoved him hard away from her. Surprised, he staggered at bit and stared. "I understand everything!"

Watching her storm away, he turned a baffled look on the monk. "What the hell was that about?"

Miroku shook his head, having comprehended the heart of Kagome's anger much better than his half-demon friend. "Your words stung her, Inuyasha. I'm surprised she didn't sit you right into the floor."

Inuyasha was puzzled. "Oh come on, she can't be that worked up over Sango and Sesshomaru. What's it to her? I just said what we've all been thinking, it's not like I said it to Sango's face."

The monk rolled his eyes expressively. "All this time you've spent together and you still don't understand Kagome, do you? What is it like being that damn dense all the time?"

He scowled at Miroku. "Who you calling dense, pervert? Just because I don't grope every female that crosses my path doesn't mean I don't know what's going on."

Miroku sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. "Then why is Kagome angry with you?"

The half-demon opened his mouth and shut it again, glaring at the smirking monk. "Fuck if I know, if she's mad at anyone she should be mad at Sesshomaru. He's the one who's fucking with Sango's head."

It was difficult to believe that anyone, even Inuyasha, couldn't have understood why his words bit into Kagome so deeply. Miroku smiled gently and put his arm around Inuyasha's shoulder. The hanyou gave him a suspicious look, not trusting Miroku, but also not honestly believing the monk would be so stupid as to grope him if there were no women around. Miroku just shook his head and grinned into Inuyasha face, only inches away.

"What makes you think that Kagome thought you were speaking of just Sango?"

Irritated, he shoved Miroku away. He didn't like anybody getting touchy-feely with him. "Who the hell did she think I was talking about? I don't know any other human females that could be in love with a demon..." It was gratifying to Miroku, quite gratifying, to see that shocked and horrified expression slip into Inuyasha's eyes as his brain finally made the obvious connections.

"Oh fuck," Inuyasha said softly. She thought he was talking about her, about her and him, about what hadn't been going on because he wouldn't...oh great, he'd fucked himself again.

Miroku slapped his shoulder and gave the hanyou a not unsympathetic grin. "Oh fuck is right, my friend."

"Hell, I'd better go find her and explain," Inuyasha muttered.

Miroku caught his sleeve before he could bolt after Kagome. "I think you've explained enough for one morning. Give the girl some time to cool off first. Otherwise you might as well be asking her to make you eat the floor."

"I know," he muttered. How could she think that in the first place? He'd never use her; he'd never throw her away. Except that was exactly what she had thought, had even said so when she'd accused him to sleeping with Sango. "Why are women always so difficult?" he wondered aloud.

Miroku shrugged. "I don't think they are, they just think differently. I've made a study on the subject my whole life. They say what they think they want, and then they want something else. I wonder if demon females are also so incomprehensible."

Inuyasha grinned at him. "Maybe you should ask one and find out. Just out of curiosity, you know." Miroku glanced away from his friend to see a shapely creature walking towards them.

"An excellent notion," he murmured as the young female in question turned down a corridor. With a roguish smile, the monk straightened his garments and went in pursuit of the female. "Excuse me, Inuyasha. I have a bit more research to conduct."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha left the human to his avocation. "She'll probably slap his face right off," he muttered, smiling a bit.

As he continued on his own, Inuyasha wondered what he should do with the rest of his time. Gods only knew how long they'd be stuck here, what the fuck was he supposed to do anyway? Kagome was furious with him; Sango and Kohaku needed their alone time. He had no mind to go chasing inuyoukai girls with Miroku either. Maybe he should just go back to the room he'd slept in and wait until someone remembered he was there.

Shit, what other choices did he have?

His instinct took him the most direct way back to his quarters; he didn't even question it, knowing that his blood and his flesh were somehow comfortable within these walls. His mind was another story. He felt much more at home in the forest, by himself or with his humans, than he could possibly feel among his own people.

No, not his people. His brother's people, he had no place here and didn't want one either.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, he turned the corner and saw Sesshomaru. _Bastard must have been waiting for me_, he thought, feeling that familiar tinge of anger laced hate bubbling up inside him. His brother noticed, smelled the hostility maybe, and just stood there before favoring the hanyou with a faintly condescending smile.

"Enjoying your visit, little brother?"

"Having the time of my life," he said, matching Sesshomaru's soft venomous tone. He drew closer, his hand automatically going to rest on Tessaiga's hilt. His brother noticed and openly smirked at him. "I do hope you're not planning on attacking me, Inuyasha. It would be suicidal, both for you and your friends."

"Really?" he sneered, his eyes glinting dangerously. "All of my friends or just the ones you haven't been fucking?"

Sesshomaru's eyes flared angrily at his half brother. "I see you're as foul mouthed and crass as ever. You can't even pretend to have manners while in your father's ancestral home. Tell me, little brother, what's it like coming home after so many years of running wild like a beast in the forest? Are you uncomfortable around civilized youkai?"

"My comfort isn't your problem," Inuyasha growled. Stupid son of a bitch, of course he'd know it unsettled him to be here. "I'm comfortable as hell when dealing with you at the end of my sword." As usual, his fingers were itching to wipe that smug expression off his brother's face. All the unease he'd been feeling was ripening within him, activated by the presence of the one who was the most responsible.

Sesshomaru smiled, obviously enjoying seeing his brother's anger growing and filling the corridor. "It must be unsettling," he whispered, loving the way his softly spoken words could so easily enrage his younger brother. "If you'd like, I could have the servants take the furnishings from your room and spread dirt on the floor. Make it more like home for you, as accustomed as you are to sleeping on the ground like an animal."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to let him get to him, not that easily. And it wasn't like he didn't have ammunition of his own. "I'm not impressed with your finery, never have been," he told his brother, smirking a bit. "Too good for my half-breed blood right?" He drew a little closer, well within challenge distance and saw Sesshomaru's eyes narrow in suspicion. "But maybe being half human doesn't offend you as much as it used to."

"You offend me just by continuing to stay alive," Sesshomaru offered, neatly sidestepping the barb about human blood.

Inuyasha's smile was positively sweet, an expression Sesshomaru had never seen before. "Maybe you should have just killed me when I was a child. Too bad I'm not as easy to hurt as I was back then. I guess it wouldn't have been as much fun for you anyway since I was too weak to fight back."

His eyes darkening at such a vile accusation, Sesshomaru stepped closer so he could glare right into his brother's face. "It would have been beneath me to murder a child, even a disgrace to our bloodline like you. As you are now, I don't have such reservations."

"Guess that explains Rin, I didn't know you had a soft spot for kids. Are you just waiting until she gets older? Now that I know you actually like human flesh, I guess it makes sense."

Sesshomaru struck Inuyasha hard across the face. "How dare you say such a sickening thing in my presence!"

Inuyasha barely reacted to the slap, hell, he knew his comment had been disgusting and uncalled for. "Isn't that what humans are to you, Sesshomaru?" he asked bitterly. "Just playthings to use and throw away? I know you don't give a damn about Sango or her brother. Why don't you just admit it? That you're just using her for some sick game of your own."

"I don't play games," Sesshomaru muttered, turning away from his brother. "My personal affairs are no concern of yours."

"It concerns me when it's my friend you're hurting," Inuyasha exploded. His hands balled into angry fists. "You know what happened, you should know after you took Kohaku. Don't you think that woman's had her head fucked with enough? How much more do you think she can take? Do you get off on causing pain in everyone around you? That sounds like Naraku to me."

"You don't have the right to question me," Sesshomaru shouted, at last showing the anger that was burning inside him. "I don't answer to you, half-breed, or anyone else alive. What is between myself and that woman is not your business and I'll be damned before I let you tell me otherwise."

"Heartless bastard," Inuyasha growled, his hands starting to burn for a taste of Sesshomaru's blood. "I'll tell you whatever I want. You make me sick, always have, with that stupid fucking superior attitude and the way you pretend that the way you were born makes you better than everyone else."

"I am superior to you," Sesshomaru hissed, his face angrier than Inuyasha had seen for some time. "Don't you ever forget it."

Inuyasha ground his teeth, not backing down, their faces only inches apart and an electric connection of hatred flickering between them. "At least I don't have to trick a lonely human girl into falling in love with me."

He was surprised when he saw his brother's anger flicker and dim, a closed expression covering up the anger as the icy mask dropped back into place. Damned if he knew why, but his comment had obviously stung his brother in some deep place. Sesshomaru turned away, a sweep of long white hair whipping lightly across his brother's face.

"You know nothing about it."

He stared at his brother, not quite believing his reaction. Inuyasha was confused again, he'd been hoping for a more physical confrontation, had even felt the youki building inside Sesshomaru's body as they traded insults. It just didn't make sense. "Are you saying it's not a game to you, are you telling me that you aren't just playing with Sango?"

"Why do you want to know?" his brother's soft voice drifted back to him. "Are you just curious or are you jealous of me?"

"Jealous of you?" snapped Inuyasha. "Why the fuck would I be jealous of you? I don't have any interest in Sango, not like that!"

Sesshomaru smiled darkly, glancing back to Inuyasha with a bitter look in his eyes. "Jealous because you haven't got the nerve to bed the woman you desire. What are you afraid of, little brother? That she'll reject you or leave you like everyone else? Or maybe you're just frightened this girl will seal you to a tree like the last one did. How pathetic, you should have known that a priestess wouldn't return the affections of a worthless hanyou."

Smirking at his brother shocked expression, Sesshomaru stalked away and left Inuyasha with the sordid contemplation that there was no small truth in what he'd said.

oOo

"Okay, maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Kagome murmured. Storming off in a huff was fine when she knew where she was going, but now she found herself hopelessly lost. She'd tried to backtrack her steps and find Inuyasha but all the corridors looked the same and she had a feeling she was working her way deeper into the massive stone fortress.

"How do they ever find their way around here?" she wondered aloud as she turned down the third dead end in a row. "Oh smell, stupid. They can probably smell where they're going and that keeps them from getting lost. You'd think Sesshomaru could put up signs or something."

She giggled at the idea of asking Inuyasha's chill faced brother for such a request. She could just picture the annoyed look that Sesshomaru would have if he were asked to put up signs to direct nose-blind humans around his home. Kagome sighed, looking around her and feeling more and more like a mouse caught in a maze.

Well, there was no help for it; she'd just have to keep wandering around until she found a youkai to direct her back to her friends.

If they'd even speak to her. Kagome had no illusions about a friendly welcome. Makiko and Jano seemed to be the exceptions to the rule regarding humans. And she had a suspicion that Makiko's kindness might only be that of a dutiful servant obeying her lord's order.

She shook her head. "No, that's not right either." She'd seen a look of genuine affection in the woman's eyes when she looked at Kohaku and Rin. Whatever else the youkai woman might be, she seemed to actually care about her human charges. Jano was a bit more mysterious, she couldn't think of why he'd brought them here in the first place.

Kagome snorted, she doubted if he'd been ignorant of the existence of his own lord's brother. Funny that he sure didn't seem to be acting on Sesshomaru's orders. She'd kind of hoped maybe the demon lord was using it for an excuse to see Sango. She'd not even had a chance to ask Sango if Sesshomaru had been happy to see her.

She was sure they'd been together; Sango's blushing when she showed up for breakfast was all the confirmation she needed. And if Inuyasha thought she'd missed his crack about taking a bath...

Kagome blushed and mentally berated herself for her nosiness. She really had to stop nagging Sango about her affair with the youkai. _You're just jealous because she has an affair to brag about_, she told herself sternly. If Sango was one of her girlfriends from back home, she could count on the girl wanting to share juicy details of her forbidden romance with the strange and mysterious demon.

Sighing, she shook her head, turning down yet another endless looking passage. Sango was no schoolgirl and Sesshomaru was definitely no love struck boyfriend. She had no right to pry, no excuse for anything other than nosiness for wanting Sango to share information about her personal life.

"I've been spending way too much time around Miroku," the girl muttered.

Damn, was she ever going to find her way out of here? It would be embarrassing to have them search for her. Inuyasha would make a spectacle of himself once he figured out she was missing. Then he'd tear the place apart stone by stone to get to her.

Her cheeks pinked slightly at the visual. Whatever it was they had between them, however much she was confused by him and wondered about his feelings, she could count on him coming after her. Inconsiderate and crass, sometimes just downright mean, he'd kill himself to find her if she was lost. She'd figured out that much a long time ago. Nothing, not demons or hundreds of years, not final exams or her own sometimes unpredictable temper, nothing would keep the hanyou from getting to Kagome.

"Maybe I misjudged him again," she said sadly, regretting her anger from earlier. "He's too dumb to know how it sounded. I should have known he didn't mean it like that. He wasn't talking about me."

Resolved to find her own way out of this before she had to be searched for, Kagome decided she would find a youkai to ask for help. To hell with them if they didn't like humans here, the least they could do was point her in the right direction. She noticed a bit of light coming from a side passage, tossed back her hair and boldly entered, looking for demons.

She regretted it almost instantly. Inside the small wardroom, four sets of confused youkai eyes were staring right at her. From their clothing she could assume they were members of the fortress' guard. Sitting at a rough wooden table, the remains of a recent meal still graced its weathered surface and mugs of something smelling faintly of alcohol were resting in their hands.

They stared at her as if she was an apparition and Kagome blushed when one of them tilted his head to the side as if wondering about the shortness of her skirt.

"Uh, hi," she said.

One of the demons, a grizzled looking veteran, leaned on his elbows and gave her a look of baffled curiosity. "Hi yourself, girlie. You looking for something?"

His tone wasn't threatening and Kagome felt a sense of relief and tried to smile. "Um, I seem to be lost. I was just wondering if someone could help me find my way back."

Another gave a coarse laugh and sipped from his mug. "A lost little human girl, that's a new one. Sure didn't think they'd let you people wander around loose like this."

She was embarrassed, she knew they could tell. "I'm sorry to be a bother," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to get myself lost, but I can't find my way. Can you please help me?"

They started laughing and Kagome was confused. The one who'd laughed first stood up and leaned against the table, dark amusement in his gaze. "Now why should we help you when it's no fur off my back if you wander around here for days? Don't worry, sooner or later they'll notice you're gone and someone will sniff you out."

She didn't like the tone in the guard's voice and she sure didn't like the way they kept staring at her legs either. Kagome had faced down more powerful enemies in her time and she wasn't going to let herself be talked down to by a pack of dog demons.

"Fine," she snapped. "If you're going to be rude about it, I will find my own way. I don't need your help after all."

Kagome spun around on her heel; quite sure her face was bright red by this time. "Stupid dogs," she muttered. She about jumped out of her skin when the one who'd stood was suddenly in her way, blocking the door.

"Stupid dogs, did ya say? Look, boys, this girlie's got some spark to her. Maybe I might help you out, human. Depends on what you're gonna do in return."

Her eyes flashed at his suggestive leer. "I said I don't need your help. I'll find someone else." She had faced down numerous demons, evil monsters like Naraku and his creations. She wasn't going to be put off by a half drunken inuyoukai that thought he could intimidate her. Without as much as a trace of fear she glared at him.

"Get out of my way!"

He grinned and didn't move. One of the others gave a short bark of laughter. "Better move, Nizo. That human girl looks like she could take you apart."

Nizo chuckled. "I don't know about that, I think she's all bark and no bite. Not that I wouldn't mind giving her a nip for that sharp tongue." He leaned a little closer, sniffing at her in an appraising fashion. "You're not bad smelling either. Pretty cute for a human. Tell you what, feisty girl, give us a kiss and I'll let you go. I'll even help you find your way back to the other humans if you're nice about it."

"Forget it," Kagome bit out. Her hands were curling into angry fists. She had faced down Inuyasha in a full demon rage, this hairball didn't know who he was dealing with. "I'm not going to kiss you, I don't want to get fleas."

His friends laughed hysterically at that and the guard's face darkened. "Oh, she's got you there, Nizo," one of the other guards snickered. "I like this human, she's got a temper!"

"Shut up," Nizo snapped, glaring at his friend. He definitely wasn't used to humans who refused to be intimidated. He'd expected a little begging to be left alone. Not a snarling response worthy of any youkai. Still, the angry smell of her was interesting and he thought she'd cave if she were pushed a little.

"That's no way to act when I'm being friendly," he growled lightly. His hand came up and reached for her hair, wanting to touch the glossy dark strands. "Just be a good girl and stand still. I'll do all the work."

Kagome flinched when something fast and metallic streaked in front of her face. The dog demon screamed, his hand had been pinned to the wall with a sharp knife. Blood was flowing freely from the wound and Nizo cried out again when he tried to free himself, the blade was embedded so deeply in the wood that he couldn't pull himself free.

Jano was in the doorway, his face shadowed by a dark and disturbing scowl. "Nizo, you fucking idiot. Didn't you hear my orders that the humans were not to be touched?"

"I didn't touch her," the demon gasped, blood pooling down his wrist.

Jano glanced at Kagome for confirmation and she nodded. "He didn't touch me."

"Good, then I don't have to kill him today," Jano growled. Of all the stupid morons for the girl to find. Nizo's three companions sat pinned in their seats by Jano's fierce grin. "And you idiots just sat there, didn't you? If this little encounter had gotten just one step further, Nizo would have that knife in his mouth and you three would be paying for his lack of intelligence right along with him."

They flinched and didn't look up, guiltily exchanging glances with each other. Jano snorted at their scared expressions and lifted Nizo's mug from the table, gave it a quick sniff and sipped at the harsh brew. Nizo whimpered as he tried to shift himself into a more comfortable position.

Jano glared at him. "Quit your whining. I'm letting you keep your fingers and your life today." He went over to stand threateningly over the pained guard. "You gonna remember to follow orders now or do I need to organize a remedial training session for you and your friends?"

"I'll remember," Nizo whispered, his eyes closed in pain. Jano slapped his cheek none to gently.

"Good boy," he growled softly. Then he turned a gentler look on the shocked girl. "Come on, Kagome. I'll take you back to your rooms." She nodded wordlessly and let Jano take her arm to steer her out of the wardroom.

He paused and looked over his shoulder, fangs glinting maliciously. "I'll want that blade back, Nizo. Don't forget to clean it for me."

Kagome frankly stared at him as they walked along, his hand still holding her arm firmly. "You wouldn't really have killed them, would you, Jano? Not for just touching me."

"Damn right I would have," he answered cheerfully, a trace of the fierce expression he'd worn earlier still in his eyes. "That fool knows better than to play around like that. And those idiots with him are no better. When I give a serious order, I expect it to be obeyed."

Kagome sighed heavily. She supposed such violence was just a way of life to inuyoukai. Jano glanced down at her, slightly confused.

"I hope they didn't scare you too much. I like to think they wouldn't have hurt you."

"They didn't scare me, I've seen worse," she murmured. She just didn't like the whole idea, she'd wandered into their territory and due to some stupid boasting and maybe too much drink those men would have gotten killed over her. Kagome didn't like the idea one bit. Jano stopped and reached out to turn her chin to face him.

"You aren't seriously feeling sorry for those fools, are you?" he asked in a wondering tone.

She nodded. "I can't help it. I was raised to respect all life, in my world the worst thing you can do is kill someone. For them to lose their lives over something so stupid would be so wasteful."

Jano blinked at her. _What an outlandish idea_, he thought. "Well, they aren't going to die today," he offered, smiling a bit and hoping the sad expression in her eyes might lighten. "You don't have anything to worry about, if anything it was a good lesson for them. I can't have my people disregarding orders, Kagome."

She smiled faintly and he relaxed, walking her forward as if she'd run off stupidly again.

"Besides," Jano continued cheerfully. "Nizo could have actually kissed you. I wouldn't wish that fate on my worst enemy."


	14. Fourteen

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

Aiko hummed to herself as she walked down the corridor, a stack of freshly cleaned linens in her arms. She was on her way to the infirmary to drop them off and then she was going to head back up to the upper level and start tidying the rooms belonging to their human guests. Her eyes twinkled mischievously. There was no small benefit to being the younger sister of the household's head of staff.

It meant special duties now and then, important things that Makiko herself would like to take care of but due to time constraints couldn't.

Aiko didn't mind the extra work. If she didn't have those rooms to clean she'd be helping Zumi polish the floor of the main audience hall. It was rarely used and in fact, it hadn't been used in her lifetime. However, it was cleaned fastidiously as Makiko was zealous about her housekeeping and dust was not permitted to linger in her presence.

She reached the doorway that would take her down the main passage and found some difficulty in opening the door. The heavy stack of linen made it impossible for her to get her hand free to reach the latch and she struggled to hook her fingers around it. She leaned a little too far to the side and felt the load shift and linens slide to the floor.

"Damn!"

"Need some help, miss?" Aiko was startled, finding herself looking into a pair of deep blue eyes and a friendly smile. She blinked for a moment, caught off her guard by the human male. He neatly stacked her spilled burden and helped her to her feet. Aiko remembered her manners as he looked questioningly at her.

"Thank you, houshi-sama," she said slowly, recalling that her sister had said this was a holy man. Aiko knew nothing of human religion but priests were to be treated with respect. "You are kind to help me."

"Not at all, you're kind to allow me," he said, still smiling at her in such a warm fashion she felt quite at ease. Aiko had actually never seen a human male up close; her first encounter with any human had been that morning with Sango. He reached down to stack the folded linens in her arms, moving slowing, placing them carefully one by one.

"Might I ask your name?"

She would have bowed politely if her arms hadn't already been full. Instead, she gave a nervous bob with her knees. "I am Aiko, houshi-sama."

"Aiko, that's lovely," he said lightly. "Quite suits you, being lovely yourself."

Gods above, was he flirting with her? Aiko's eyes widened and she hesitantly stepped back. She blushed furiously; her sister would hardly consider it proper for her to be flirted with by one of the lord's guests. Still, she was a little pleased with the compliment, finding him not unattractive for a human. Just different.

Her nose twitched slightly. Definitely different. "Thank you, houshi-sama."

The monk continued to smile at her as he reached out and opened the door so that she could pass. "I hope we meet again, lovely Aiko," he said, a teasing tone for her shy flush. She nodded and turned to leave, her mind already turning back to her duties. As she moved away, something brushed lightly over her backside and she drew in a sharp, startled hiss. Her eyes darted back to him, the monk was openly grinning now, and she felt his fingers gently cup her bottom and squeeze.

Aiko didn't know what to say, it was extremely improper for him to take a liberty like that! Quickly, she pulled away and backed out of his reach. Her face turning a deep red and her mouth set in a firm line, she kicked the door shut in the pervert's face. Her sister would definitely hear about this. That human didn't dare grope her and think he was getting away with it.

Miroku felt a sad tinge of regret that he had been rebuffed, but he hadn't expected anything more. Such a pretty little thing, that burnished glossy hair, those huge dark eyes. The hint of fangs behind those rosy lips was definitely intriguing. He supposed it offended her to be touched by human hands.

Oh well, he'd have regretted not trying. Frustrated again, the monk decided to make his way back to find either Inuyasha or Sango. He hoped she and her brother had finally managed to put their ghosts to rest.

Once again, he found himself pondering the way he felt about her. They had become such close friends, he'd always expected that one day she'd stop resisting his advances and turn to him of her own will. He did regret that he'd never had a chance to taste those sweet looking lips.

Miroku wondered if Sesshomaru had any idea how lucky he was. The monk's eyes hardened when he then thought about how he'd find a way to make the demon pay if he really was just toying with her. Inuyasha certainly seemed to think so.

He shook off such vengeful ideas. Inuyasha inevitably thought the worst of everyone, of every situation. It was a character flaw that grated on the easy-going monk's nerves. He reflected that Inuyasha also hadn't had much opportunity to learn the kinder side of human nature.

If there was a kind side of youkai nature remained to be seen. It wasn't his call, he could make a pure ass of himself by nagging Sango about it, telling her what a fool she might be, but he didn't want to do that. He trusted Sango's judgment, always had, since the first moment he'd met her and come to admire her.

Her beauty, that body, her skill in battle, these were all part of a perfect package. But it was her vulnerability, her strong will, and her devotion to what she thought was right that made her something truly special.

Even a demon lord could be seduced by it.

He honestly didn't resent it if she had finally found some kind of happiness. Buddha knew she deserved it and the fact that she hadn't ever turned to him perhaps was proof that it was never meant to be. How could he ever resent what had made her happy? Sesshomaru had given her brother back to her. All Miroku could offer was his friendship and his steadfast support.

And he'd give it now, even if it went against his better judgment. Sango was a woman free to make her own choices.

His feet had taken him wandering down the corridor and he paused for a moment, sensing something. Miroku's eyes were drawn the end of the hallway where another young woman was moving along, carefully balancing a basin in her hands. She was dressed the same as the lovely Aiko, with dark hair instead of auburn and also held in a single plait down her back.

Miroku smiled, closed his eyes and said a word of thanks before he moved down the passage in pursuit. Buddha was generous today.

oOo

Inuyasha scowled to himself, in considerably foul temper after meeting his brother. Who did that son of a youkai bitch think he was anyway? He didn't know him, didn't understand a damn thing about him. Sesshomaru didn't know what his life had been like, growing up alone, struggling to keep himself alive without the benefit of any help.

He snorted to himself. Sesshomaru didn't care either, cold hearted frozen bastard. His claws flexed angrily and Inuyasha knew that it might be better for him to get outside and try to work off his anger before he did something violent. There were no trees to attack inside the fortress, but that courtyard was big and he figured he could occupy his time by running around.

Running was one of his favorite things to do anyway. He loved the feel of the wind in his hair and the way his speed made everything around him turn into a blur.

Inuyasha found his way outside and stopped for a moment, letting the warm sunshine wash over his face. He instantly felt calmer, his muscles started to unclench and the anger in his chest eased. Inuyasha leaned against the cool stone of the nearest wall and closed his eyes.

Everything was okay, he told himself, nobody was in danger and his humans were safe. There was no reason to explode. As he forced himself into a calmer state, his brother's face swam before his eyes again and Inuyasha growled hard before breaking into a run.

Minutes later, he was breathing hard, having exerted himself to rid his body of the unpredictable temper. The hanyou slowed, dust flying under his feet as he dropped into an easy trot and skidded to a halt. The exercise had done its job and he no longer felt the overwhelming need to hack his brother into the dirt. Tossing back his hair, he decided to see if he could find that Makiko and get her to feed him again.

Inuyasha froze when he heard a derisive laugh and slowly turned around. His eyes narrowed and his fingers twitched toward Tessaiga's hilt. A young youkai male was standing a few feet behind him, a contemptuous sneer plastered across his face. Two females were at his side, their eyes glittering with amusement and dislike. The male laughed again and Inuyasha felt anger start to burn in his blood again.

"So, you're the half-breed," the male said finally, his dark eyes shining with pure contempt. "Never thought I'd see the day when humans and hanyou were allowed to wander freely in this fortress."

His lip curled in a grimace. The young lord was richly dressed, as were his companions, and held himself with an easy, disdainful grace. His arms were folded across his chest and Inuyasha flushed under the scrutiny. "What's it to you?"

The male laughed and nodded to his females. "You're nothing to me, hanyou. Why don't you crawl back to the wilderness where you belong?"

One of the young women nudged the male. "He smells like an animal, Yasuke."

"He is an animal," Yasuke answered. "It's the dirty human blood in his veins that makes him reek like that."

Oh, he was not in the mood to be insulted, not by a soft-faced little punk who'd never had to work for anything in his life. "Go back to your nurses, puppies," he rumbled threateningly. "I don't feel like playing with you today."

Yasuke's eyes glittered and his head came up in an angry flush. "How dare you presume to order me, half-breed? You should be more respectful of your betters."

He snorted, this was getting old. Inbred snot didn't know whom he was dealing with. He waved his hand dismissively. "Better than what? Get out of here before I make you eat those words in front of your bitches."

He turned away; he honestly didn't feel the need to stamp the bastard into the dirt. Sneers and insults he'd had his whole life, he was used to them from both humans and demons. Compared to Sesshomaru, this young punk was a rank amateur.

"Your lack of breeding explains your lack of manners," Yasuke called after him. "Just what I'd expect from someone born of a dirty human whore."

You did not insult his mother though. Not and expect to keep your teeth. Inuyasha turned around, his face beginning to flush with the heady intoxication of rage. "Fuck you."

"Watch your mouth, filth," Yasuke snapped, his hands tensing into fists.

"I'll say any damn thing I want," Inuyasha snapped back. Someone needed a lesson; someone needed an old fashioned ass pounding. Yasuke was begging for it, he'd tried to walk away and keep his cool. He didn't pick this fight but it had sure as hell had picked him.

Yasuke drew closer, eyes full of hateful amusement. "You think you can take me, you want a fight?"

Inuyasha bared his fangs, itching to take this demon apart. "Oh yeah."

"What are you waiting for?" Yasuke whispered. "Are you afraid, hanyou?"

Inuyasha moved so fast he was a blur; within seconds he'd already landed two hard, vicious punches in the demon's face, making his stagger backward. Inuyasha grabbed the youkai's long hair and drove his knee into Yasuke's face, breaking his nose and enjoying the sweet smell of blood. He dropped the snot to the ground, seized his hair again and wrenched his head back. His sharp claws dug into the demon's throat and he stopped.

"I believe you meant to say...are you afraid, hanyou-sama."

Yasuke gurgled, blood pouring from his nose and dripping into the dirt and all over the half-breed's hand. Inuyasha shook him meaningfully, digging his claws a little deeper. One quick move and he'd tear the bastard's throat out.

"Say it," he growled. "Say hanyou-sama."

"H...hanyou-sama," Yasuke said weakly.

Inuyasha rumbled with pleasure at the submission in the arrogant demon's tone. "Say I'm sorry hanyou-sama, please forgive me. Say it loud so I can hear that you mean it."

"I'm sorry, hanyou-sama, please forgive me," Yasuke cried. Between the broken bones, the claws in his throat, and the wrenching pain from the hand that was tearing his hair out, he had no choice. Half-breeds weren't supposed to move like full blood youkai, they weren't supposed to be this strong.

"Good boy," Inuyasha hissed and threw Yasuke hard into the ground. He caught the eyes of the two stunned females and grinned, licking Yasuke's blood off his fingers. They both flinched.

"Something you want to say?" he asked insolently.

"N...no, hanyou-sama," they said, eyes wide and staring at Yasuke, who was still moaning on the ground. This was good, they were afraid of him. As they damned well should be. He turned to leave, feeling like he'd finally driven his point across.

"Very impressive," a voice drawled. He glared up the stairs to see Jano leaning against the wall, obviously having witnessed the entire incident. Inuyasha grinned and started to climb up to meet him.

"Impressive how? Didn't expect a lowly hanyou to take the inbred puppy down?"

"Impressive that you didn't kill him," Jano answered quietly. "I assume that's Kagome's influence rubbing off on you."

The hanyou scowled. "She's got nothing to do with it," he said shortly, looking away. "I figured he'd be better left alive to live with his humiliation."

Jano shouted a laugh, earning a startled glare from Inuyasha. "I guess the rumors about you are true after all."

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, he scowled. "What rumors?" He didn't like people talking about him behind his back, but Jano only smiled.

"You're just like your father, and not just in looks."

That caught Inuyasha completely off his guard and he followed Jano down the stairs. "I look like him?" He didn't know, he'd always assumed the bastard looked like Sesshomaru. Having never seen his father's face, it wasn't something he'd ever pondered on. Come to think of it, he'd never thought much about his father at all. Not since after his mother died and he'd been left all alone.

"I didn't know."

Jano nodded easily. "Yes. You look just like him, except for the ears, of course. Sessh took after his mother, so I've been told anyway. She died before I was born."

That was something else he'd never considered before. For some reason, he'd always felt a tight angry jealousy, assuming Sesshomaru had the benefit of being raised by two youkai parents. That was why he'd always been such a confident, condescending son of a bitch.

He'd been so young when his mother died he'd never even heard much about his father. But this place was full of memories of him, like Jano's, like Sesshomaru's. A shadow fell over his gaze as he thought about it and Inuyasha ducked his head so that his hair hid his eyes.

"Something wrong?" Jano asked, looking at him curiously.

Inuyasha shook off the ghosts, not wanting to think more about his father, or his mother, or anyone else who had left him. "I'm fine," he snarled, glaring at Jano. "I'll be even fucking better once I get the hell out of here. Don't you get that I hate you full blood bastards? The last place I want to be is where that piece of shit brother of mine can get at me or the people I care about. He's already fucked with Sango's head, I'm not letting him fuck with mine too."

Jano frankly stared at him, watching as the hanyou turned and stormed away, muttering something else about hating how being hanyou made other youkai think he was always their bitch.

"What the hell is that puppy's problem?" he wondered aloud. He scratched his head, perplexed by the hanyou's mercurial mood swings.

Vaguely, he remembered all the snide comments and cruelty Naota had endured growing up hanyou in this fortress. And that was with the protection of his powerful uncle. What must Inuyasha's life have been like, a half-demon orphan abandoned to the world of humans? No wonder he loathed Sesshomaru, couldn't stand being around inuyoukai. Kicked enough times, any dog would cower.

Jano contemplated that as he walked slowly down the stairs to the lower levels. A dark smile crossed his face, even if he hadn't done Inuyasha any favors by bringing him here, it was worth it to watch him pound Yasuke like that. Hisuni-sama's eldest son was one of the worst troublemakers among all the young nobles.

Personally, Jano thought Sessh should have had the youth banished back to his home territory years ago. Hisuni had considerable influence over the court and for the most part, Sesshomaru respected his opinions. Didn't agree with them most of the time, but he respected them.

The old Daimyo had been a lot more controlling of the clanlords, a lot more devious and ruthless too. If Inutaisho had ruled the West with an iron fist in a velvet glove, dominating everyone around him by the sheer force of his personality and temper, his son had grown into the complete opposite.

Instead of playing the game, Sesshomaru moved like a ghost across the political landscape, aloof and unreachable. Until he needed to act and then his influence would be felt like a lightning strike.

Jano rubbed his neck thoughtfully. Anyone could have predicted that someone like Yasuke would see Inuyasha as a target, an unknown variable suddenly brought into play. Not knowing where the hanyou stood in the social hierarchy, Yasuke had instinctively moved to push him out. And promptly gotten his tail handed to him on a fucking plate.

That wasn't a humiliation Yasuke or his father was going to forgive any time soon.

An idea began forming slowly in Jano's head, considering the young hanyou's conviction that all inuyoukai must loathe hanyou and think of them as worthless and weak. Something Inuyasha wasn't, but maybe proving that publicly would go a long way to ease the half-breed's contempt. It might even be fun.

oOo

Sango arched her back, gasping. Her thighs trembled; she couldn't lock her legs around Sesshomaru any tighter if she tried. He said nothing, just held her hard around her waist while he buried his face in her neck. Her arms wound around his shoulders, slipping through his hair and she relaxed, resting her cheek on his shoulder and closing her eyes in satisfaction.

It seemed like every time they were together it was more perfect than the last time.

His fingers traced up and down her spine lazily, his head tucked just under her jaw. She shifted in his lap; just enough that she could bend her head towards him and nuzzle her nose against his hair. He pulled away slowly, turning to look at her directly. His expression was remote as ever and his golden eyes were like shining jewels.

"What are you thinking?"

A small shy smile. "Just how much I enjoy being with you."

His fingertips wandered up to stroke her hair. It looked amazingly black next to his. Sesshomaru nibbled lightly on her collarbone, it seemed like he just couldn't get enough of her. Each sensation, each scent, more intoxicating than the last. He rubbed his lips over her neck, his tongue moving in tiny licks and caresses.

She breathed a deep sigh, throwing her head back so he could reach all he wanted of her sensitive throat. "What are you thinking about?"

"I love the taste of you," he growled softly. She was just sitting there and it was enough to completely distract him. Her lips were captivating and Sesshomaru devoured her mouth with his own, alternating his kisses between soft gentle pecks and urgent attacks on her tongue. He moved to bite gently on her earlobe.

Sango held his face against hers and moaned softly. "I love you, too."

Slowly, he moved back, his grip shifting. Sango felt his lips leave her skin and opened her eyes. He looked so very serious, not expressionless or cold, but intent and a little...sad?

"Don't say that you love me."

"Why?" she breathed. His shoulders had stiffened underneath her hands and she didn't know what to do. Something dark and distant was flickering in his eyes, some unreadable emotion. She tried not to let it hurt, the way he could put a distance between them even though she could still feel him hard inside her. His finger traced her lips, a faint sad smile echoed in his face.

"Just don't."

He saw the confused hurt in her eyes and moved swiftly to kiss it away. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I know you don't understand." It was just as he'd thought, he'd hurt her somehow, and he had never intended it to be like that.

Her arms were still around him and she pulled him tighter, surprising him with ferocity of her hold. Here was where she wanted to be, she'd take whatever he was willing to give her. Yes, she did love him, she knew it now.

"Why?" she asked him again.

Sesshomaru was silent, thinking of his brother's words for the hundredth time since he'd heard them. At least I don't have to trick a lonely human girl into falling in love with me. He hated to admit it, but that really bothered him. He didn't have to trick anyone, he knew it, but then why did he feel such a sense of loss when Sango said those words?

Delicately, he ran his fingertip over the scar on her back. "I do not want either of us to say something we might regret."

Sango thought about it and grew very serious, matching the melancholy that was shrouding him. "I have no regrets about being here with you," she said quietly. "It's all right if you don't love me, I can love enough for the both of us."

He stared at her, caught completely off his guard. She astonished him. What woman would say such a thing? The total and complete trust it implied unnerved the demon lord. She meant it, he could read it all in the blush of her skin, the muskiness of her scent, the openness of her body language. All of them told him that she did truly mean what she said, she loved him and Sesshomaru found himself profoundly affected.

He who never trusted, he who refused to need, now found himself doing just that. She had become his so completely that it left him breathless.

He eased her back against the futon, slowly, deliberately. Sango sighed as his body covered hers, a curtain of pale hair framing them both and his lips busy on her skin. The heat between them built and intensified, his hand slipping down to caress between her thighs. Intense sensations caused her to gasp suddenly and thrash against him, over sensitized by his touch.

"Shhhh..." he soothed, his hand moving slower and gentler.

She twitched under his touch, her body defying her as it answered the gentle torment her was drawing from her. Sesshomaru rested his head on her chest, listening to the rising sound of her heartbeat. Sango was panting hard, sweating now and he ran the tip of his tongue in a lazy circle around her breast, teasing it with his fangs.

Sango couldn't stand it anymore, he was making her crazy, making her whimper when his fingers probed deeper and made her legs to shake. He moved to kiss her cheek, enjoying the sweetness of her arousal and the way her body seemed to have been made just for his touch.

He watched as she shuddered and cried out, calling to him. Sango reached up to take his face in her hands, meeting his rapt expression with an intensity that made the youki of his blood flare to life. Her lips seized his and drew him down to her, demanding and willful as any demon woman would be. Urgently, she thrust her body against his, insisting that he enter her.

"Now," she whispered harshly. "I need you now."

She could feel him hard inside her, rolling her gently back, tilting her pelvis to fit better against him. She accepted him, unresisting and moved with his body, setting herself to match his rhythm as he breathed hard into her ear. Pleasure engulfed her and she lost herself, grabbing his head and forcing his lips against hers as he rocked her harder into the futon.

Her tongue was frantic inside his mouth, desperately trying to claim him as he growled softly against her lips. He pulled himself away from her kiss so that he could stare into her eyes, feeling her body pulsing around his and the muscles in her arms starting to tremble.

"What have you done to me?" he whispered, closing his eyes as the pressure inside him begged for relief.

Sango could feel the energy building inside her lover's body. It was intense and her own body answered his, cupping herself against him, pulling at him with her hands and mouth. Some instinctive response was on her and she wanted to growl back at him, nip his flesh with her own teeth as he thrust into her harder and harder.

She cried out when he came, holding him tight against her, her legs clenching his hips like she was desperate to save him. He knew what he was doing, he knew he wasn't out of control; her body ached for him, pleasure and response joining them together as he buried himself even deeper inside her ready body.

Something was happening inside her, a flood of energy like she'd never known took hold of her, searing her skin and passing over her body like a firestorm. He gave her something beautiful, something of himself and Sango felt the intimate connection between them sharpen and strengthen and carry her away.

There were tears on Sango's face, he didn't know when that had happened but he tenderly held her close to lick the saltiness away. This moment was special and he wondered if she understood why. "Tell me how you feel right now," he purred, nuzzling her affectionately.

Her hands slipped through his hair, brushing it away from his face. "I don't know," she whispered. "That was unbelievable, I've never felt anything like it."

He chuckled softly, rolling onto his back and taking her with him. Satisfaction was flooding his body, he felt possessive and protective and no one in the fortress would have recognized the demon lord at the moment. His eyes were tender, his mouth curved in a pleased and relaxed smile, a faint wistful turn of his mouth and a vulnerability that he'd never show the world. Sesshomaru's hand stroked her hair, teasing out the sweaty tangles that had formed from sex.

"I enjoy pleasing you," he said softly. It was possible he'd never let anyone hear that tone of his voice; it was so gentle and unguarded.

Sango buried her nose in his chest, content. "I never thought to feel this safe again," she whispered. How could he understand her, this demon who didn't allow himself vulnerability? Could he comprehend how he made her feel, a human who had already lost everything, finding peace and solace in the arms of a youkai. "

You are safe," he answered. "You belong to me and I will never allow anything to harm you. Never."

_Maybe the human idea of love doesn't apply to youkai feelings_, Sango thought. Could she ask for more than she had right now? Her heart filled with warm desire and her lips whispered over his skin. "Ever since my village was destroyed, I've felt like I'm drifting. I thought I'd feel that way forever, lost and searching. You make me feel found."

It was good enough. Did she understand that she had a home again, did she comprehend that his youkai nature didn't allow him to discard what he considered to be his? He wasn't sure she really understood him, no, maybe just a bit. But he could show her how he felt, how he wanted her to feel.

Maybe it was just instinct, but he wanted something physical between them as a symbol. So his people and even his brother wouldn't have a doubt about his seriousness and take Sango every bit as seriously. So they thought she meant nothing to him, they thought him incapable of returning her feelings and he had thought so himself?

Now he had no doubts, human feelings and youkai instinct aside. He would make her his mate, his wife, in the simplest way to state such a thing to the world.

She would bear his child.


	15. Fifteen

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

"It is an outrage, Sesshomaru-sama!"

Hisuni stalked back and forth in front of his lord's desk, his long elaborate robe billowing behind him for dramatic effect. The clanlord was in a fury, a state of righteous indignation that was currently part of the fortress' best gossip. The inuyoukai paused, his eyes flashing ominously, his claws curling into tight fists of anger. His son had been attacked, his bloodline had been shamed and now he was here to demand satisfaction from his lord and liege.

"That filth put his hands on my son!"

Sesshomaru looked bored. "I have heard the tale."

Jano had informed him of the incident, laughing like an overgrown puppy as he wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. "And then he made him call him hanyou-sama, Sessh! I damn near died!"

_Fool_, Sesshomaru thought, glancing behind the furious Hisuni and meeting his bodyguard's gaze. No trace of humor belied Jano's expression at the moment, his face was carefully composed and every bit as stoic as Sesshomaru's own.

"Hisuni," he said finally, answering the man's deep annoyance. "I am also to understand the attack might have been provoked. Surely Yasuke is mature enough to understand that words do have consequences."

"There's no excuse for that! He struck my son without warning, no challenge, no formal declaration of intent, he just jumped on him like a common beast!"

_That does indeed sound like my little brother_, Sesshomaru thought dryly. He was careful not to show any hint of his thoughts. "I must concur. My brother is nothing if not uncivilized."

He expected to have to endure a few more minutes of Hisuni's ranting before he could dismiss the irate lord. He had absolutely no plans of doing anything about the incident; it was hardly his concern that Yasuke now found himself humiliated. Indeed, such a lesson might even be beneficial to the young demon's character.

Hisuni obviously didn't agree with his thoughts. "My lord, I demand satisfaction. That filthy half-breed dared to assault a member of my clan, humiliated him publicly and caused him physical damage."

Sesshomaru glanced over at Jano for confirmation. "Broke his nose in two places, my lord. The bruises are most impressive."

"Impressive?" Hisuni exploded, turning on Jano. "You were right there and didn't a damned thing to prevent it. Are not members of the household guard supposed to keep order within this fortress? Your lack of action is simply…"

"Not your business," Sesshomaru interrupted coldly. He stood up and stared down Hisuni until the other demon dropped his eyes. "Hisuni, we've known each other for decades and I have always given you the respect your position deserves. I have no time to settle a petty squabble like this and urge you to also let the matter drop. Yasuke is of age and capable of settling his own affairs without your influence."

"What of the insult to my clan?" Hisuni whispered, his eyes still flashing with suppressed rage. "Am I supposed to tolerate that, my lord? Am I supposed to allow my family name to be mocked in the court? All because you've allowed that underbred excuse for a hanyou to run loose his entire life and he doesn't have a shred of a clue how to behave or submit to his betters."

Hisuni suddenly found himself staring into an implacable pair of golden eyes only inches from his own and realized he may well have overstepped the bounds of his lord's patience. It took all his will not to cower before Sesshomaru, who was an expert at intimidation on all levels.

"You are out of line," the demon lord informed him.

"I apologize, my lord. Please forgive my words, I spoke in anger and intended no disrespect." Hisuni kept his eyes on the floor, twitching as all his nerves were telling him to bow and show submission to a stronger youkai. The insult to his son would have to be dealt with otherwise; his lord was in no way sympathetic to his case.

"You may leave," Sessh said finally, in a voice as cold as a winter night. Hisuni was relieved to bow deeply and leave Sesshomaru's presence.

"One more thing, Hisuni-sama." There was a trace of a sneer in the lord's voice. "Kindly remember that when you insult my brother's bloodline, you are also insulting mine. We do, after all, share the same father."

He waved his hand dismissively then and turned away, knowing Jano would escort the clanlord out of his rooms. It was just like his brother; barely a day inside these fortress walls and already Inuyasha was already making a damned nuisance of himself. An almost imperceptible sigh escaped his lips.

"Damn you anyway," he murmured, thinking of pompous lords and their swaggering sons.

Sesshomaru allowed himself a faint smile. Hisuni's anger and Yasuke's humiliation meant nothing to him, at the moment he was quite distracted. Jano had noticed and Jano had been firmly told to mind his own business. His bodyguard had left it alone after that, but he swore he'd seen a grin.

"Insufferable," he muttered without any rancor.

Moving as quietly as a moonlit ghost, Sesshomaru went back to the sleeping room. Unlike the guest accommodations, he preferred a much simpler décor. The heavy furnishings, which were so much a part of this fortress' history, were absent from his quarters by his own choice. Instead of elaborate wall hangings and artworks, his walls were bare stone. Simple matting covered his floor and his bed was a mere futon. He had a deep dislike of the opulence most lords liked to surround themselves with. He knew he got this trait from his father, a man who had been more comfortable in full battle armor than the most finely woven silk.

However, he had not inherited his father's love of battle, his fascination with the tactics of managing a large fighting force. Sesshomaru reflected on the irony of that, considering that his daiyoukai blood gave him the ability to lead and the desire for conquest. He had simply rejected the idea of becoming a great general like Inutaisho.

Not that he hadn't shed his share of blood, be it human or youkai. He was a perfectly engineered killing machine when it came right down to it. Sesshomaru had no illusions and no regrets about who or what he was. It wasn't until he entered the darkened room and knelt beside her, jealous of the moonlight that played across her hair that he began to wonder exactly what he was becoming.

He had chosen a human woman.

He had chosen to sire a hanyou child.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Rubbing his face, feeling as confused as he'd been in years, Sesshomaru, the dreaded demon lord of the West, son of the infamous Inutaisho, contemplated the unexpected turns his life had taken.

oOo

"A what?" Inuyasha bellowed, upsetting the quiet morning conversation between his friends. He glared at the young dog demon in front of him, the poor boy was starting to shake under the intense scrutiny of the cranky half-demon.

"A formal challenge, hanyou-sama," the boy whispered respectfully.

Inuyasha scowled and yanked the parchment out of the messenger's hand. His brows furrowed angrily. "That stupid bastard, I don't fucking believe it!"

Miroku leaned on his elbow and tried to read the slip of paper. "Someone sent you a formal challenge?"

"That bloody idiot puppy from yesterday," Inuyasha growled.

Shippou started to giggle. "The one you got in a fight with?"

Kagome snorted. "You mean the one he beat up and humiliated."

Inuyasha glared at her. "He fucking had it coming, Kagome! I tried to walk away, I tried to be peaceful-like."

Giggles and snorts of laughter filled the room. Inuyasha's ears flattened on his head in annoyance. "It's not funny!"

"It sounds funny," Makiko commented, entering the room. She looked around at her humans and frowned at the youthful messenger who was standing wide-eyed by the door. Her gaze fell on the parchment and her face paled and then grew angry.

"How dare he?" she breathed. "I thought even Hisuni's son would have more intelligence than this!"

"Is something wrong, Makiko?" Kagome asked. She was beginning to wonder if there was something more grave going on. Maybe a challenge was a very serious business, meaning a fight to the death. _In which case_, she thought to herself, _that Yasuke is definitely courting disaster_.

Makiko shot the young woman a stern look that relaxed when she realized the human girl was undoubtedly unfamiliar with inuyoukai customs. "A formal challenge is issued when one inuyoukai believes he has been insulted or wronged. In more serious cases, the challenge might be reviewed by the participants' clanlords to verify its validity. If the lords concur on the subject and believe the challenge to warranted, a hand to hand contest is staged."

Her usually serene face was a little pink. "Yasuke is claiming he was the victim of an unprovoked attack and demands that his honor be avenged. Inuyasha must either apologize publicly or accept the challenge."

"No problem," the half-demon muttered, his eyes glinting with anger. "I'll be more than happy to beat his ass again."

Makiko shook her head. "Absolutely not, Yasuke has to know he has no business issuing a challenge like that to you. Regardless of his humiliation, a formal challenge is out of the question."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "I'm not apologizing," he said in a voice that spoke ill for anyone who'd dare try to force him.

Makiko waved her hand at him. "Of course not. It's ridiculous for him to even send this challenge."

"Why is that?" Miroku wanted to know.

The woman sighed. "Because Inuyasha is not a member of the court. And he has no clanlord to appeal to for protection, unless you wish to ask his bro…"

"No fucking way," Inuyasha snarled. "The day I ask that bastard for his protection is the same day that I shave my head and become a priest!"

"I've never shaved my head," Miroku commented.

Inuyasha whirled on the boy still waiting at the door. "Tell that pigfucker I accept his challenge. And tell him to make his peace with his ancestors, because I'm sending him right to them!"

Makiko covered her eyes and wished for patience. "It's non-lethal combat and you should not accept. It's a serious breach of etiquette."

"I don't give a damn about my lack of etiquette," Inuyasha glowered. "He wants a piece of me, I'm all over it."

Makiko put her hands on her hips and tried to glare him back into his chair. "That's not the point! Challenges are status related, as an outsider you do not have status and cannot be challenged. Only a complete fool would challenge an outsider or a child!"

His fists slammed on the table. "I'm not a child and I'll break that overfed puppy into little pieces!"

Makiko's eyes snapped, completely unimpressed with Inuyasha's display of temper. Kagome and Shippou sat staring as the lovely youkai woman's calm demeanor disappeared. She leaned forward, her own claws digging into the table and her fangs glinting in the early morning sunlight. Kagome suddenly realized that female inuyoukai were every bit as intimidating as the males.

"Don't you realize you are being played with?" she hissed at him. "Don't you know you're being insulted with a challenge like this?"

Inuyasha stood up and matched her aggressive stance. "Don't you realize I don't give a fuck?" He was fed up with youkai insults and condescension. He'd had it with all the full blood bastards trying to push him around. A fight sounded like a great idea.

Makiko made an angry sound in the back of her throat. The young fool didn't comprehend the subtlety of the situation. In accepting a challenge like this, Inuyasha was asserting his bloodline, acknowledging that he was inuyoukai and therefore fair game to any young dog demon that wanted to try and prove his dominance against Sesshomaru's younger brother.

Had he actually been born into the complex social hierarchy, such challenges would have been carefully orchestrated and displayed. The insult was two-fold. As a status-less orphan outsider, it was lowly to place the hanyou in this position.

The other half of the insult was that Inuyasha was Sesshomaru's half-brother, son of Inutaisho and therefore second only in social station to his brother. Yasuke had to know full well that he didn't have the rank to back up that kind of social coup. Getting Inuyasha to accept that challenge, regardless of who won the actual fight, made it seem as if his position was stronger than she knew it truly was.

"Fine," she snapped, breaking their locked gaze. "Be the fool, then. I do not care." She stormed away then, her many braids clattering angrily against her back and her usually creamy pale skin still flushed with insult. Sesshomaru-sama would hear about this.

The room was quiet and no one seemed to have any appetite. Finally Inuyasha pushed himself away from the table and stalked out the door with murder on his face. Kagome looked over at Miroku and sighed.

"Why does he have to fight everything so much?" she murmured.

The monk put his chin in his bare hand and tapped the fingers of his rosary bound one on the table. "I'm not sure. Being here puts a lot of pressure on him. I think he sees that challenge as a way to relieve it, regardless of the consequences."

"Just like him, got to solve everything with a fight," the girl muttered.

Miroku smiled faintly. "As if we'd expect anything else. Think about it Kagome. Suppose you were all alone your whole life, without anyone to call your family and hardly even your friend. Just when you've come to accept your life as it is, and begin to open up to others, you're thrown into a situation where you've suddenly got to confront every rejection you've ever endured. Considering this is Inuyasha we're talking about, I'd say he's behaving with restraint."

She chewed on her lip, a sure sign that she was nervous and confused. "It's not just about Sesshomaru. And it's not just being around other dog demons. It's this place, all the history of his life and he doesn't know anything about it."

Miroku nodded sagely. "Exactly, Kagome. To have a brother like that and the memory of a legend for a father, I think I'd be so intimidated I'd hardly want to leave my room. Fighting is the only way he knows how to deal with what he's going through. If it hadn't been that Yasuke, it would be someone else."

"God, I should go talk to him," Kagome said softly. She felt horrendously guilty, how could she have been so insensitive to what must be going on in Inuyasha's heart?

Miroku continued to drum his fingers on the table. "That might be good," he said finally. "You're really the only one he truly trusts. It might be good for him to be reminded of that, and that he's not alone anymore."

As Kagome left, Shippou tried to follow her, only to be plucked up by his tail by a smiling monk. "Not this time," he said grinning. "The last thing Inuyasha needs to deal with is you."

"I just want to help," the fox said brightly. Miroku's eyebrow raised and Shippou sensed defeat. The monk was way ahead of him on that subject.

"How about if we find Kohaku instead?" Miroku offered. "He should have some idea of how to keep the both of us from perishing of boredom."

oOo

Kohaku was walking down the corridor, wondering why Makiko or Rin hadn't woken him earlier. Days at the fortress started at the crack of dawn, Makiko saw so reason to let him laze around in bed until the morning light fell across his face. Maybe she was feeling charitable because she knew about his emotionally draining reunion with his sister. Everything had just come tumbling out at once, he found himself babbling insanely into Sango's face, telling her everything that had happened.

Everything.

Like how it felt to kill their father. He'd been mindless, numb to pain and emotions, watching the blade slice through the body of his father, seeing it return to his own hand wet with the blood of his family, his sister. At the time, he'd been little more than a zombie even though his body was still alive. His hands moved with a killer's icy precision, his will a distant memory, but the horror had scalded the back of his throat. He'd been grateful when the arrows had pierced his body, grateful even when Sango had dropped dying beside him. Somehow it had seemed appropriate that they not be parted in death.

Sango hadn't died. She'd endured the horror of survival, waking to find herself covered in earth and lying on the dead bodies of her kin. Kohaku had no memories like that. He had died instead.

His next memory was pain, searing, blinding agony as something forced him back into his unwilling body. His mind, his soul, his memory...all were eaten by that all consuming fire. Kohaku knew only burning and pain, feeling his stiffening flesh being made mobile again, thickened blood forced to travel his veins.

And in his back, oh gods, that was the worst pain of all. A sliver of darkness and light, the unending war of souls human and demon. The shard had tormented him into awareness, corrupted by Naraku's evil, that tiny piece of eternity had then tortured him into submission. Hearing only Naraku's voice, waking to see those pitiless crimson eyes boring into his.

_Please_, he'd begged. _Let me die. It hurts so much_.

_I can take your pain away, Kohaku. If you give yourself over to me. It's those weak human feelings of love and loss that bind you in agony. Let them go. Forget. Submit_.

_Yes_, he'd agreed finally, too exhausted and heartsick to fight. Sango wouldn't have given up; their father wouldn't have given in. Kohaku was weak, he knew that. He wasn't worthy of their love in the first place, now he'd betrayed them again, betrayed them by not matching their strength or conviction.

He'd only wanted peace, the solace of forgetfulness. He had no needs that Naraku didn't prescribe; he'd had no thoughts that Naraku didn't plant in his mind. Tearfully, he confessed that to his sister, the pure bliss of being less than nothing.

Sango had cradled him against her, whispering comforts and Kohaku drank them in like salvation. She told him it wasn't his fault, it wasn't his doing. She'd also endured the pain of a shard in her back, the betrayal of trust that such a violation caused. Unlike her brother, she'd found friends and hope. It had been barely enough to keep her going, but somewhere she'd found strength and purpose. Her only goal had been to destroy Naraku and take back her little brother.

Kohaku smiled, he wanted to see her face, let her see his. And he'd smile and now the smile would touch his eyes. He'd slept in that morning and woken rested. He wondered if Sango had also been so lucky. With a light step, he went to her rooms, hoping to find her still asleep in bed so he could rush in and bounce her awake like he'd done when they were younger.

She wasn't there. Her rooms were empty and Kohaku turned to go, thinking that maybe she'd rose early and gone to breakfast. Her bed didn't look slept in. Kohaku was by now familiar with the household's routine and he seriously doubted if Aiko, Zumi, or one of Makiko's other people had zipped in here so early to make up the room. Kohaku's young face creased in a frown, wondering where his sister might have spent the night.

He jumped when he heard the sound of stone sliding against stone and ducked behind an elaborate tapestry of doves. If he didn't move, he wouldn't be noticed but he did wonder what had prompted him to hide. From where he stood, he could just peek out from behind the tapestry. Rin said this place was full of secret passages, strange winding stairs and tunnels connected the rooms for reasons even the original occupants would have forgotten. It seemed like one of these passages existed in his sister's room.

Sango's laugh startled him; it was low and soft but unmistakable. "So this is how you do your disappearing and appearing. I honestly didn't believe you could walk through walls."

"When the walls have hidden doors, I find it considerably easier," a soft, deep voice said. Kohaku's eyes widened and he started to breathe harder.

_Sesshomaru-sama?_

Edging closer to the wall, Kohaku managed to peep around the tapestry to make sure his ears weren't playing tricks on him. His sister was standing in the room, wearing the same kimono as the day before and shock filled him. Sesshomaru-sama was with her, his hand toying affectionately with Sango's hair. The demon lord leaned close and nuzzled her.

"Perhaps I let you out of bed too soon this morning."

Sango's lighthearted laugh surprised him; he could hear the delight in her tone like he'd never heard before. "I don't have youkai stamina," she said teasingly. "I'm just a human, I need rest and food if I'm going to keep up with you."

"Then I will leave you to tend to your needs," he said, stroking her cheek and Kohaku's jaw dropped open. Sesshomaru leaned close and kissed his sister on the mouth. Not just a simple peck, a full passionate claiming of her lips. Sango gasped as he broke the kiss and stepped away.

"That was a promise to tend to your other needs myself."

There was the stone against stone sound again, signaling that the demon lord had gone. Sango whistled to herself as she disappeared into the bathing room and Kohaku heard the sound of water flowing. It was a good time to slip out undetected.

He didn't know what to think. His sister, his beloved sister, and the cold demon lord. Was that the reason after all? Why Sesshomaru had gone to such lengths to salvage his life? Kohaku was very surprised, and a little embarrassed. He didn't mean to spy, if Sango wanted him to know she would have told him. Did that mean that she was ashamed to tell him? That the demon lord had taken her as his lover, that she was the reason behind his strange and merciful behavior.

Kohaku froze suddenly. Maybe she wasn't willing, despite what he'd seen. Maybe she'd traded her body for his life. He hoped that wasn't the case. He felt unworthy enough as it was.

Father was dead, their village was dead. Sango and himself were all that remained. The young man straightened his back and looked ahead with resolve. It wasn't his business, but he was all she had and he wanted dearly to be deserving of her. If Sesshomaru had forced her into a liaison, if he wasn't treating his sister's honor with respect, Kohaku would have to say something. He was her brother, her only living relative and he'd never stand by and let his sister pay for his mistakes. If she wasn't completely willing in her participation in their affair, only Kohaku could say what needed said.

oOo

Storming around the fortress, no clue where he wanted to go, he only knew that movement made it easier to deal with his anger. So many damned emotions kept flooding him. What he wouldn't give to find something to kill with his bare hands. He had to settle for shooting dirty looks at the demons that encountered him, household staff mainly.

A few tried to smile or exchange a pleasantry. "Good morning, hanyou-sama."

He snorted and ignored them all. The last thing he needed was people trying to be friendly to him; he already knew they didn't mean it. And who gave a fuck anyway? He wasn't running to Sesshomaru for help or acceptance, they could all kiss his half-breed ass before he'd let them make a fool of him.

"Inuyasha! Wait up!"

_Kagome_, he thought and deliberately slowed his pace. He didn't stop, making the girl run to catch up with him. What was her problem now, going to chew his ass for not listening to Makiko? Going to lecture him about how he shouldn't get in fights? Damn, he was half dog demon after all, conflicts formed around him regardless of what he thought about it. Stupid girl should know that by now.

She ran up along side him and was panting slightly. Okay, maybe he shouldn't have made her work to catch him. He could have waited. Once again, he regretted his temper. It wasn't Kagome's fault he had problems like ignorant assholes wanting to challenge him.

He thought wistfully of the peaceful village near the well. It was probably the closest thing he'd ever called home because there the villagers had stopped looking at him like he was some kind of freak. They still gave him wide berth when he was in a temper, but acceptance had come slowly over the years. He was no longer the monster, no longer the dangerous demon creature to be feared.

Instead, villagers looked at him with an amused tolerance. He was no threat, no outsider to them. He was just Inuyasha.

"Hey," she said, looking up at him with those enormous eyes. "What are you so upset about? Makiko was just trying to help."

"Oh, is that it?" he sneered. "I don't need her help or anyone else's either. Bastard wants my fist down his throat, that's exactly what he's going to get."

Kagome bit back a sharp retort. "This is really hard for you, isn't it?"

He glared at her, his expression tight and angry. In a voice so low she had to strain to hear it, he answered her. "Yeah."

She reached out to him, felt him fight not to flinch away when she took his hand. One edgy, defensive hanyou. Just perfect. Kagome dug her fingers into his arm and planted her feet. He stopped and shot her a guarded look.

"It's me, remember?" she told him in a soft voice. "You don't have to push me away."

Inuyasha ducked away from her bright gaze, his hair hiding his eyes. How could explain when he couldn't even understand it himself? He was on edge and so tense that he felt like his skin was peeling off from pure stress.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," he muttered at last. "This place is doing something to me."

Her hand stroked his, soothing him. "You wanna talk about it?"

He sighed. It was all instinct, that much he knew. How could he put into words everything that was going on inside of him? Could he tell her that the scents in the air woke his blood? Could he tell her that his ears twitched at the sound of their voices, the stone of the fortress echoed in his bones? Half of him was telling him that this was it; this was what he'd been searching for his whole life.

The other half, his human side, was scared shitless of what it meant.

Kagome felt tears welling up in her eyes at his continued silence. He wouldn't talk to her, wouldn't or couldn't, she didn't know which. Either way, it hurt her to see him struggle like this. She knew Inuyasha, how much he hated being made vulnerable by anything. Here in the house of his father, his defenses were peeling away, leaving him bare inside and raw with dealing with feelings he'd always kept locked away.

Not knowing how else to express her love of him, her acceptance and unwavering support, she slipped her arms around Inuyasha and hugged him.

His hands came up behind her, uncertain and tentative. Slowly, his arms tightened around her shoulders, pressing her closer to him. Inuyasha breathed in the gentle scent of her hair and felt better. It couldn't be that bad, whatever was going on inside him, not if Kagome was here. Wordless and grateful, he stroked her hair and tried to let the anxiety drain out of him.

_It feels so good to hold him and be held_, she thought, pressing her cheek against his chest and listening to the strong beat of his heart. He felt warm and vital, smelling faintly as he always did of deep forest. She remembered the first time he'd embraced her, how it made her heart race. After everything they'd been through, endured and fought over, it still raced just as fast.

Kagome put her palms on his chest and gently pushed herself back, tipping up her chin so she could look at him. "It's going to be okay," she said softly, her eyes shining with reassurance. "No matter what, I'll always be right here beside you."

It was probably more than he could stand. He was glad she didn't need him to say anything, articulate what he was thinking. No matter how hard he tried, he always managed to screw up moments like this, say the wrong thing, put his foot in him mouth and get flattened for it. Just this once, he decided to back off and not let it happen. Instead, needing to respond in some way to thank her for the gift of her friendship, he tilted his face towards hers and brushed her lips with a feathery soft kiss.

Kagome was startled, both by his actions and by their gentleness. Her spine felt like melted butter, curving her body against his as she accepted the kiss and returned it. _Oh, please don't say anything, Inuyasha_, she begged silently. Everything between them always went wrong, he said the wrong thing, and she took it badly. There'd be tears and shouting, swearing and sitting. His mouth was so soft on hers, his lips so full and warm, she wanted to sink into them and never come up again.

Inuyasha pulled away, a bit lightheaded from the sweetness of her mouth. His forehead rested against the top of her head, his silvery hair falling over her inky black tresses. She felt so delicate under his hands, stirring him with the desire to protect her always. Smiling faintly, he reached to touch her cheek before he put his hand back in hers and went back to the room where Miroku and Shippou were still having breakfast.

For once, he didn't mess it up. Didn't jump on her like a horny dog demon either, didn't say something stupid or make her feel a fool for caring about him.

Maybe there was some hope for him after all. The words of his brother came back to him, that crack about not having the nerve to bed her. _What do you know about it_, he thought at Sesshomaru. _How would you know what it's like to care about someone? Did no one ever feel that way towards you?_

Surprisingly, he felt a waver of pity for Sesshomaru if that was truly the case. In his own way, he had been every bit as isolated, his heart every bit as walled up as this fortress. Kagome had saved him from that. She had taught him to find ways to care about her, reach the human side of him. Sesshomaru didn't have a human side, being pure perfect youkai and proud. Maybe Sango could thaw the prince of ice.

If a girl from another world could teach a selfish bastard of a hanyou to care about something other than himself, there was hope for even dark demon lords of the West.


	16. Sixteen

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

Jano held his jaw tightly clenched, a dark and deadly expression in his eyes as he walked slowly down the corridor. Tension was evident in his deliberate pace and every now and then his fingers twitched toward the knife he kept concealed in his sleeve.

The youkai who walked behind him made no sound, his footfalls bare soft whispers against the stone floor. Jano didn't have to turn around to know exactly where the demon was, his senses were hyper alert, reacting to the presence of someone he personally had always viewed as a threat, even if Sessh didn't share his opinion.

Barou-sama gave him the creeps.

Jano reflected that Barou would be a fool to try anything within the fortress walls. And he also reminded himself that whatever else Barou was, he would not betray his lord any more than Jano himself would. It didn't quiet his nerves either way, the way he felt was pure hardwired response and trusting Barou's loyalty to Sesshomaru didn't mean that he would ever trust the man himself.

Maybe it was the fact that he knew too much about the kind of demon Barou was. Maybe it was simply the fact that he remembered too well how Barou had become clanlord.

Those terrorized moments in the deep dark of a forest were memories that Jano tried very hard not to relive. He wondered idly if Sesshomaru felt the same, it was certainly something they didn't ever speak of. However, it was also the reason he knew his lord and friend trusted this particular clanlord more than any other.

He had reached their destination and knocked softly on the door to Sesshomaru's private study, sliding it open after a moment's pause.

"My lord," he said quietly, respectfully. He was on duty and this was no time for casual behavior. "Barou-sama has arrived to see you, as commanded."

"Thank you, Jano." Sesshomaru turned around and regarded the other youkai, who immediately presented him with a deep bow. It was completely unnecessary under the circumstances but Sesshomaru knew that Barou's formality was a matter of habit.

He made the tiniest gesture with his fingers and the clanlord instantly rose to look him in the eye and then look away. Barou rarely looked anyone in the eye for long. A faint smile crossed Sesshomaru's lips and he nodded with an almost imperceptible tilt of his head.

"It is good to see you, cousin."

"Likewise, my lord," Barou's soft voice replied. Standing together, Jano reflected that the two demons were near perfect mirror images of each other. Barou's pitch-black hair was held back in a long braid that nearly swept the ground, a perfect foil for the pure white of Sesshomaru's. The resemblance didn't end there either, bone structure, the cast of their faces, he might have taken them for brothers if he didn't know better.

Only Barou's eyes were the color of a storm-gray sea, not the incandescent gold that Sessh and his brother had both inherited from their father. Their coloring was an unusual genetic variation, quite rare among inuyoukai who tended towards darker shades of skin and hair. Although their temperaments and mannerisms were as different as Jano would have believed possible, there could be no mistake that both were the sons of Inutaisho.

Almost as if Barou had read his mind, which Jano knew was quite likely, the clanlord glanced over at him before addressing Sesshomaru. "One has heard your brother visits this fortress as well, my lord."

Sesshomaru brushed aside the comment as if it were insignificant to him. "A brief visit, Barou. We have no desire to linger in each other's company. I assume you know why I've requested your presence and," here he hesitated slightly, "I also seek your counsel."

Barou looked at him, a mild expression on his face and a faint twist of a smile graced his lips. "My counsel, my lord? I am deeply honored that you think there's anything I might offer."

_Always the gracious pleasantries first,_ Sesshomaru reflected, deliberately turning away and walking to his balcony. Barou didn't need to be told to follow him and Jano remained as a night-dark shadow to the foreign lord. Outside, a soft morning wind was blowing; the sky fairly sparkled with sunshine, glistening on the dew that still adorned the ancient stone like tiny jewels. Sesshomaru's fingers felt the dampness of the mist and his eyes were drawn to the distance, where the faint outline of mountains capped with snow shimmered and played with shadows.

"I sense your unease," Barou murmured, standing close to his lord. Sesshomaru could feel Jano's distrust burning like a small fire behind them, his bodyguard didn't care for Barou's presence, liking it even less when the clanlord chose to stand within such intimate distance.

Sesshomaru had no such concerns as he had personally nothing to fear from Barou. Both as a matter of loyalty and the fact he knew he could drop his strange cousin with a minimum of effort. Physical combat was not Barou's weapon of choice, which was why he was generally reviled by members of the court and feared by other youkai. Even his own people walked in dread of him.

Not Sesshomaru. Barou's unusual abilities would have made him an outcast and had he been born a common youkai, he very likely would have been slaughtered at a young age. Sesshomaru's eyes were drawn to the scar that graced Barou's throat. A long red mark, twisted and puckered with age, signified that this demon had already survived such an attack.

It had been Barou's sister that gave him the mark. Their father had pitted them against each other from their birth. Barou never would have survived the attack if his Azaryu mother hadn't known the precise antidote to the poison his sister had used. As it was, Barou said he'd raged with fever for weeks on end and still, in the darkest nights of winter, he felt the blade again.

"Something is out there," he told Barou in his soft voice just barely more than a whisper. "Do you feel it? Creeping like a disease and fouling everything around it. Do you know of this?"

Barou nodded slowly, uneasy himself. He'd felt the faint touches of power moving across the land. His spies hadn't found anything, no more than Sesshomaru's had. Both of them were far too experienced to not sense the changes in the wind. Barou had made his observation and patiently waited for the summons he knew would come from the fortress.

"I have felt it, my lord. I regret that I don't have more information to offer you. My thought was that perhaps it was no more than a passing vileness, something moving unchecked across the land and that it might feed and then move on."

"You are wrong," Sesshomaru whispered. Just in that one instant, his own senses sharpened by the nearness of his cousin, he found himself sure.

"We are under attack, cousin. I did not bring you here to speak in riddles. I want to know who or what has set this darkness loose. My scouts returned yesterday from the north. Several remote human settlements have been destroyed, no evidence of warfare or attack. Only bodies that had been fed upon by something that defiled the very ground. Its hunger is something that I can feel, its lust for flesh and blood. My scouts dispatched a unit to try and track this monster, see if they could follow it to its master. They did not return."

"Some youkai, some demon let loose to feed," Barou began softly, standing so close now that Sesshomaru's hair whisked over his face as he spoke. The youkai lord shook his head, glancing back over his shoulder to meet Barou's gaze.

"It's more than that. It's growing stronger by the day, working itself up to attack. I can feel its thirst for inuyoukai blood. The humans it has consumed were just the first course. As it grows stronger, it will grow bolder."

Barou's eyes were closed and he leaned his slim hands on the stone railing, his face composed and serene as he cast his mind out over Sesshomaru's domain. "There is no intelligence behind it, no presence save malice. No youki."

His eyes opened. "Could such a creature have formed naturally?"

"Perhaps." Sesshomaru doubted it. It was unlikely in his opinion that such malice had been set loose by nature. This stank of something viler, more familiar and he felt his teeth bare in a snarl when he realized who could have done it.

_Naraku_.

Barou noticed the anger seething under his cousin's expression and withdrew a few inches. It would not do to be caught in Sesshomaru's fury. "You know who did it, Sho-kun?" he asked, greatly daring to address his cousin by the old familiar nickname from his youth.

Eyes flashing ominously, he turned his citrine gaze on the clanlord and Barou felt a thrill of danger course over his body. "I have an idea," was the response and Barou found his own lips curving in a bloodthirsty smile.

Turning away, he followed Sesshomaru back into the study, knowing better than to press his lord for answers. The controlled violence in Sesshomaru's expression was enough for him. There would be a severe retribution for whoever had been foolish enough to provoke the lord of the West like this. He did not attempt to search his cousin's mind for the name; it was inconsequential and would have been dangerous to try.

Unlike other demons, Sesshomaru had a very disciplined mind that even Barou's abilities couldn't read. That was one of the main reasons other youkai avoided Barou. It was unsettling to know that he could ease into their minds, reading their deepest thoughts and desires and then slip back out again unnoticed.

Not only that, if Barou so chose, he could inflict a fine, prying madness into those minds he invaded, manipulating them for his own purposes. He didn't need skills of battle to destroy anyone. There had been a time when he couldn't focus this ability, when he was as helpless against it himself as anyone else.

He did everything he could to conceal his strange and uncontrollable powers, living for years with the constant fear of discovery and the constant abuse of his family that could sense his oddness. His sister had been the one favored by his people, she had the beauty and charm of their mother, the viciousness of their father. Himishima had been the kind of youkai that thought physical agony might force his son into something more appropriate, more ruthless.

Trapped by that and his own abilities growing more and more likely to drive him to madness, Barou had been desperate for rescue by the time his father had made a fatal mistake.

He had provoked the Daimyo.

It had been Inutaisho that had recognized Barou for something unusual and set about training the young lord's mind into a weapon. After Himishima's death, the Daimyo had made sure that the young clanlord could control himself, defend himself, and focus his abilities. It was the first time the young youkai had ever known a sense of peace and his gratitude to his lord had turned into something more akin to worship.

Sesshomaru understood that, he knew the kind of effect his father had on others. It was the main reason he could trust Barou. That kind of loyalty would be impossible to compromise and after Inutaisho's death, that loyalty had found a home in his son.

He thought about this even as he turned his mind to more important matters. Other youkai could sense Barou's strangeness and hated it. Even Jano, who was normally easygoing and fully understood the situation, could barely contain the instinct to distrust and destroy what was considered an abomination in youkai eyes.

"One understands there are also humans in this fortress now," Barou said softly, a hint of amusement crossing his face. More than that, the rumors implied that at least one of these humans was very important to his lord.

Sesshomaru caught his gaze and actually smiled, a relaxed expression that caught even Barou completely off guard. "There are indeed."

Barou frowned slightly, wondering if Sesshomaru would confirm anything more. It really wasn't his nature to pry into such affairs, although he did understand that such a liaison would cause considerable consternation among the members of the court. Politics muddied his mind and he had no desire to go trailing around in the thoughts of humans or snobbish youkai nobility.

He decided to launch a new course of inquiry. "Have you seen Naota recently, my lord?"

Sesshomaru stopped abruptly and threw his cousin a look. "Naota has not been back to this fortress since my father died, Barou. You should know that."

"I didn't ask if he'd been to the fortress, my lord. One had heard rumors he'd been seen in the West. I wondered if they were true."

Sesshomaru's face remained icy and expressionless. "I did see him, some months ago. He has since returned to the east and his human life." He had absolutely no intention of telling Barou what had drawn Naota back to his home territory or what he'd encountered in the mountains. It was simply a personal matter that he did not wish to discuss.

Besides, Naota had made it plain on numerous occasions that he wanted nothing to do with inuyoukai, openly preferring to live as a human after the horrendous bloodbath that had followed Inutaisho's death.

"Will you stay for the feast tonight?" he asked Barou, knowing full well that his cousin was deeply uncomfortable at large gatherings. He said the many minds of demons blended into a roar that could be quite overwhelming and gave him sickening headaches.

Barou smiled shyly and looked away. "Thank you, my lord. I must decline." His gaze took on a dreamy, unfocused quality and Sesshomaru nodded, knowing that having called Barou's attention to the matter, his cousin would not rest until he found further answers for his lord.

oOo

"He touched you where?" Makiko asked in shock. She carefully set down the antique ceramic that she'd been cleaning and fixed her sister with a serious gaze. Aiko flushed, not meeting her sister's eyes.

"It wasn't so much of a touch, really more of a grope," she explained.

Makiko closed her eyes and wished for patience for what had to be the tenth time that day. "For the love of the gods," she muttered, drumming her fingers on the table. "First that stupid hanyou and now the monk."

She glanced up at the nervously waiting Aiko. "This is the second time I've heard a story like this."

"Second time?" her sister echoed. The girl scowled darkly, planting her hands on her hips. "Who else did that pervert touch?" It hadn't occurred to her that the monk might have had other victims. Somehow, she found that to be extremely annoying, far more than her own encounter with the overly friendly human.

Makiko smiled faintly at her sister's expression. "It was Zumi. She was polishing the floor in the audience hall and he just snuck right up on her. Scared her half to death, poor girl."

She almost wished she'd been witness to the incident. The normally shy, quiet and reserved Zumi had turned around and walloped the living daylights out of that monk. She had honestly thought it was a member of the household guard getting a bit too friendly and reacted accordingly.

Of course, the gentle natured girl had felt awful when she saw it was only a human and promptly reported her actions to Makiko, timidly asking if she should be punished. No hands on the humans meant no hands on the humans. Makiko had assured her that her response was completely justified under the circumstances.

"We are going to have to deal with that young man," Makiko said finally, her eyes snapping with indignation.

Aiko bit her lip, toeing the floor nervously with her shoe. "Are you going to tell Jano-san?" she asked. In spite of his wandering hands, she really didn't want to see the pleasant faced monk disciplined. She knew exactly what Jano would do to a member of the guard who was caught taking liberties like that.

Makiko snorted humorously. "No, I'm not going to tell Jano. He'd find it amusing and I don't think that human needs any encouragement from the likes of him. We will deal with Miroku in a different fashion."

Aiko gave her a questioning look and Makiko waved her hand. "Go find Zumi and bring her here. That human monk is going to find out that one does not take liberties with inuyoukai females and expect there to be no consequences."

oOo

Miroku sat down and leaned back against the stone wall, enjoying the feeling of sunshine playing on his face. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. The courtyard was deserted and it seemed like a good place for him to catch an after breakfast nap. Rin and Shippou were playing some game involving chasing a ball; Miroku had politely declined to join them, much to their disappointment. Instead, he settled himself comfortably and composed his face as if meditating.

_You are still a monk_, he reminded himself. _You should at least try to act like one now and then_.

His face still hurt where the young lady had belted him. Considering an inuyoukai's greater strength, Miroku reflected that he was damn lucky she hadn't broken his jaw. He honestly regretted startling that girl so badly; she'd almost been in tears when she realized he was a mere human. His palm itched with a satisfied feeling. Had been worth it, but he was going to make sure he was a bit more careful the next time. The blow had almost had a familiar feeling, like one of Sango's angry retaliations.

Miroku sighed and tried to direct his thoughts away from the exterminator, determined to not let himself get lost in thinking about it once again. _You should have told her how you felt a long time ago_, he chastised himself. _Instead you sat back, let her think that you were nothing more than a lech and look where it got you. She's in love with someone else and there's nothing you can do about it_.

He smiled, that thought almost sounded like something Mushiin would have said. Miroku wondered what his foster father would think if he knew how much trouble his former apprentice had managed to get himself into. He snorted; he'd say exactly what everyone else would say. _Your own damn fault for not treating Sango like a woman you loved and respected, someone who you'd be lucky to spend your life with_.

He'd blown it, pure and simple.

A rustle of silk caught his attention and he opened his eyes. And damn near jumped out of his skin when he realized it was Sango's face that was hovering just in front of his, a perplexed expression on her face.

"Miroku, you're not actually meditating are you?"

Just for the briefest moment, he wondered what she'd do if he took hold of her arms, drew her down to him, and kissed her the way he'd always dreamed of doing. She'd crack his head open most likely. So he swallowed the urge, swallowed the feeling of heartache and offered her a smile instead.

"Just reflecting on the constantly changing nature of the universe," he murmured.

She flopped down next to him, a vision in that violet silk, he decided. Sango rested her chin on her fist and gave him her serious look. "Liar. You were thinking of groping some girl. Admit it."

He flushed; she wasn't that far off the mark. Deliberately, he let a twinkle of mischief into his eyes. "Maybe."

She laughed at that and leaned against the wall. "Have you seen Kohaku this morning?" she inquired.

Miroku shook his head. "He didn't join us for breakfast, I had been wondering where he was."

It was true, he had thought that maybe Kohaku would distract the relentless Shippou and Rin and give him a few hours of peace. Not that it was his duty to keep the youngsters out of trouble, but he did want to make sure the curious kitsune left Inuyasha and Kagome alone long enough for them to talk. He smiled, hoping that the irascible half-demon didn't throw Kagome's sympathy back in her face.

Sango poked his shoulder. "Why are you smiling like that? Is there something going on that I don't know about." The girl looked around her, her eyes flicking over Shippou and Rin's game. "Where are Inuyasha and Kagome?"

So she had noticed. "Um, talking," was all he could offer. Sango raised an eyebrow.

"Talking? What about? Come on, Miroku, you know something I don't."

"I know many things, dear Sango," he said lightly. She fixed him with that stare of hers that always went right through him. Damn. "It's nothing," he finally answered. "Inuyasha got some kind of challenge from that demon he beat up yesterday, Makiko insisted he shouldn't accept and he did anyway. Kagome is probably trying to talk some sense into him."

"A challenge," Sango mused. Like Inuyasha needed a challenge to get in a fight. She felt a flash of sympathy for whoever was stupid enough to provoke Inuyasha when he was already on edge. Vaguely, she wondered if Sesshomaru was aware of it, finding a silly smile on her lips when she imagined the demon lord's annoyance with his combatitive younger brother.

Miroku saw the soft smile and the distant look in Sango's eyes and felt his heart weigh down again. "Are you thinking about Sesshomaru?" he asked quietly.

Dark eyes met his. "How did you know?"

Miroku shifted, the chill of the stone he was sitting on wanted to seep through his robes. "Just a lucky guess, your expression had a certain tenderness to it. I hadn't seen it before."

She blushed, looking at her hands. "I guess I'm pretty obvious, huh? You always could read me so easy."

"I could?" He cocked his head at her. "I thought that you were the one who was always a step ahead of me."

"Two steps ahead of that hand, you mean," she laughed. Her amusement trailed off when she saw a closed look drop over her friend's face. "Miroku, what's the matter? I...whenever you look at me, you make me think I'm someone you don't know."

The look deepened and Sango felt her heart twist inside her. "I'm sorry," she whispered at last.

He met her eyes and tried to paint his placid smile back on his face. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Sango. Why would you say that?"

Gods, this was difficult. "I'm just sorry," she told him again. She wanted to reach for his hand, comfort him somehow. He was her friend, her rock, the one who'd insisted she keep going when she thought she'd used up every last ounce of strength or fortitude.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," he said, surprising her by the harsh tone of his voice. She saw a hint of anger in his jaw, the hard gleam of his eyes before he turned away from her. Sango's heart welled up with emotions, some she couldn't even name.

She did love Miroku, she always had. But that love had changed inside her, almost overnight, when the fire of demon's embrace woke the hesitant desires of her body, when a touch like a feather could fan the flames of passion to heights she'd never even dreamed. Oh gods, she'd lost him. Lost her best friend, lost someone who cared for her and hurt him grievously. Sango bowed her head, a single tear hidden behind the veil of her hair.

His hand twitched towards hers. "Sango, please," he murmured. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You always did upset me," she confessed, showing him a smile behind the tears. "Whenever you looked at me, I thought you could look right through me."

"Maybe your uniform, that would have been fun," he joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Don't," she said and this time she reached for his hand, holding it tight between hers. He looked startled by her gesture and she squeezed hard, feeling the rough calluses of his fingers, the knotted fabric over his palm and the smooth texture of prayer beads. "No, Miroku. Don't joke about this. I feel like I'm losing you, losing your friendship. I've lost too many people already. Please don't say it has to be this way."

Miroku found himself reacting to the passion in her voice and winced a little, knowing he'd never hear his own name spoken from those sweet lips in the night. "I don't see how we can continue," he said mildly, keeping them above the water. "You have chosen someone to love, I'm happy for you."

Sango shook her head, her hair flopping loosely around her face, no demon maid had insisted on tying it back after her bath and she'd forgotten. "You say you're happy, but your voice says something else. Miroku, you will hardly look at me anymore!"

"Maybe that's because if I do look at you there's a chance someone might cut my head off for it," he said bitterly. Then he wanted to slap himself, he didn't mean to say it, not like that. No one had threatened him, but he knew damn full well what would happen if he gave them reason to.

He saw her flush, then flinch from his words. Slowly, she pulled her hands away and folded them in her lap. "So we are no longer friends?"

Miroku shot her a look that questioned her sanity. "I will always be your friend Sango. I had thought that someday I might mean more to you."

Could he not understand that she knew that? Wasn't there any way she could heal this. Suddenly, Sango clearly saw him moving away from her, distancing himself. She couldn't let it go, oh no, she wasn't giving up without a fight. Sango didn't know why her life and heart had taken such unexpected turns; she didn't know why she was head over heels in love with someone that until a few weeks ago, she thought of as pretty close to evil incarnate.

She had misjudged Sesshomaru then, she wasn't about to make the same mistake with Miroku.

"Why didn't you ever tell me that you were in love with me?" she demanded.

His eyes grew wide and he stared at her owlishly. "In love with you?" he asked in a tiny voice.

"I knew you were," she said. "I knew that you were starting to think of me as something more than just a warm body to grope. Didn't you see the way I looked at you?"

"Uh, no," he confessed. "Sango, you smacked me every single time I..."

"And you deserved it!" she shouted, angry with him now. Shippou and Rin stopped playing to look at them, confused by the adult conversation only half heard. Sango's cheeks grew red again, realizing that no few inuyoukai had probably heard her exclamation as well.

Ruthlessly, she continued before she could lose her nerve. "I wanted to be different," she muttered. "I wanted you to see me as something more than just a woman you wanted to bed. Couldn't you understand that?"

He could, oh damn, but he could. "I was a fool," he said at last, drawing circles around on the stone paving. "I am the world's biggest fool, the densest man alive."

"No, that's Inuyasha," she said evenly. She saw the ghost of a smile in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Miroku. I'm so damn sorry it hurts me inside. I never meant for this to happen, I always thought that somehow, we'd both drop our guard and be together. I wanted that, but I'm also the one who was too stubborn. If I hadn't been to damn proud, I would have let you know how I felt and stopped shoving you away so hard."

"Does he really make you happy?" Masochist that he was, he had to know. It hurt to lose her, but if he had to be the one to give her up, then he wanted to at least have the assurance that she was going to be well treated and appreciated. Loved...even by an icy inuyoukai prince if that's what she'd chosen for herself, but damn it to hell, he wanted to hear it from her lips.

She took a deep breath. "When I'm with him, I feel like I'm home," she said simply. Miroku blinked at her, knowing that from Sango, that simple statement held a world of meaning. "When I'm with Sesshomaru, I feel like nothing will ever be wrong again. I feel like I don't have to be strong and brave, I don't have fight all the time."

"Does he love you in return?" He was pushing her, he knew it and she knew it too. Sesshomaru wasn't exactly overflowing with warm emotion; he couldn't see the demon professing his love in flowery declarations. Was it a fair question? No. Was it his business? Absolutely not. Still, he couldn't let her go without asking or rest his feelings for her unless he knew that what Sango felt was being returned.

Sango took her time answering, knowing that if she didn't say it just right, Miroku would assume that she was giving herself to someone who didn't give a damn. He would think her a fool and worse, he just might not be wrong.

"I don't know what youkai feel, Miroku. It wasn't exactly something my father felt the need to train me in. All I can tell you is what I feel, how I feel. I love him; I know that right down to my soul. It's not just sex."

Gods, could she blush any harder, Sango wondered if there was any blood left in her body that hadn't made a rush for her cheeks at this point.

"Not just sex?" he asked, amused. In spite of himself, the perverted spirit inside him just couldn't leave that subject alone.

Her eyes caught his. "If you believe there's a difference between just fucking and making love. You should know this, I started it. I offered myself to him. I told myself I was just so grateful for Kohaku that I had to do something, but it was more than that. I wanted him. I wanted to make him want me too, in spite of what he thought about humans. I couldn't see it then, but I know it now."

Miroku shifted and brought his hand up to rub his face thoughtfully. Images of the demon and Sango together flicked across his mind, enjoying each other, Sesshomaru's white hair fluttering across Sango's lovely breasts, her eyes closed in passion as she seduced the lord of the West. He blinked, trying to erase those images before it got him into trouble.

_It takes some effort_, he thought wryly.

Finally, he looked up, met her gaze and grinned. "I'm jealous as all hell," he commented. "Sango, I do care for you. I'm happy to find out, if a bit too late, that you cared for me too. My hands have always been too quick for me, I don't want you to think that all I cared about was just bedding you."

That made her smile and he couldn't help but add, "Although seriously, I really cared a lot about bedding you. And that's because you have to be the most amazing woman I've ever laid eyes...or hands...on. Sesshomaru doesn't know how lucky he is."

Her eyes started to twinkle. "I'll be sure to remind him every chance I get. Are we still friends, you perverted excuse for a holy man?"

"I'm whatever you need from me. Always." Miroku saw her eyes light up at his words and was proud of himself. It didn't hurt so much anymore, that she'd never be his. He'd regret it until his dying day, but seeing her happy meant more to him than he'd ever realized. Sitting in the sunshine, he found it was going to be enough after all.


	17. Seventeen

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

Shippou rolled the ball back to Rin and sighed. "This place is boring."

Rin caught the ball and gave him a serious look. "Sometimes," she admitted. She did get bored herself, and then she'd do something that would make Makiko look at her like she was a little barbarian. She couldn't help it; she would rather be with Sesshomaru-sama if she had any choice.

It was strange. Rin knew that she wasn't scared to be alone, but she got a tight, funny feeling in her stomach if the demon lord left the fortress without her for very long. He rarely showed any kind of physical affection towards her, a light brush of his hand on her hair was all she could ask for. Still, it did get boring without anyone her own age to play with. She hoped Shippou and his friends were planning to stay for a long time.

The kitsune bounced energetically around the courtyard, ignoring the serious conversation that was taking place between Miroku and Sango. He wondered where Inuyasha and Kagome had gone. If nothing else, the hanyou was always good for his entertainment, easily provoked and quick to rile. It was one of his favorite games.

The fortress was nice, he decided, feeling a little out of place among all the inuyoukai, being kitsune and all. Then he remembered the half-kitsune woman they'd met in the woods, this was where she'd come from.

Rin smiled and poked Shippou, grinning. "I have an idea about what we can do," she said, pointing to the far side of the courtyard where a familiar figure in red was approaching.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha demanded, looking with interest at Miroku and Sango. They were both smiling and looked up at him and Kagome. There was an ease to the tension he'd noticed between them and Inuyasha was grateful for that. Too many unsaid feelings were floating around for his comfort.

"Just talking," Sango said primly, smiling a little with the sun in her eyes. It felt strange for everyone to be so at ease, like the tension that had accumulated over the last few weeks had waned. She also realized that she was ravenously hungry and wondered if she'd have any luck getting herself a late breakfast.

"I'm starving," she announced, getting to her feet. "Anyone else?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply, thinking he could do with a bit more breakfast himself as his morning meal had been so rudely interrupted by a fool's challenge. Before he could say a word, a bright red ball bounced unceremoniously off the back of his head. He uttered a low growl of annoyance and spun around. "Shippou! You wanna explain that, fuzzball?"

Rin shrieked with mock terror at the look on his face. "Run, Shippou!" she squealed.

Inuyasha growled playfully for Rin's benefit, menacing the laughing kitsune in his best imitation of a bloodthirsty demon. "You better run!" He bolted after the fox, scooping up the shrieking human girl in one arm as he bore down on the young kitsune. Shippou dodged merrily, staying one step ahead of the pursuing half demon.

Kagome shook her head at the sight, enjoying the sight of Inuyasha playing so easily. Maybe he wasn't quite as tense as she'd thought, or maybe she'd had something to do with the lightening of his mood.

Sango saw a faint blush appear on Kagome's cheeks as she watched Inuyasha run around the courtyard like a maniac. She nudged her friend meaningfully. "Why are you smiling like that?"

Kagome grabbed Sango by the arm and steered her towards the fortress. "I'll tell you all about it while we get something to eat."

"I think I'd like to hear this too," Miroku commented, following the girls. Kagome just raised an eyebrow at him and smiled.

Inuyasha was too busy chasing kitsune to notice that his humans had withdrawn. He growled deeply, sending Rin in to squeals of giggles as he stalked the young fox. "You're really going to get it this time, Shippou."

"As if you can catch me," the fox child said challengingly. He danced away from one of Inuyasha's fast grabs. "If you can catch me, I'll apologize to you," he taunted.

Inuyasha was on top of him almost instantly, hardly hampered by the shrieking Rin who clung to his hair. He had a fistful of kitsune tail and swung Shippou's startled face in front of him, grinning. "So you were saying? You want to apologize?"

Shippou gulped and knew he had to make good on his promise. Then he looked over the white head and saw something that he hoped would distract the hanyou.

"Rin," he blurted, pointing over Inuyasha's shoulder. "Who are they?"

Inuyasha turned around to see where the fox was gesturing. A small group of youkai children were watching intently. Their faces were solemn and they looked like they were fascinated. They were just kids, but Inuyasha still felt his mood darken at being stared at like that.

_Even the kids_, he decided in disgust.

"You guys wanna play?" Shippou asked brightly, still swinging from Inuyasha's grip with an airy unconcern that spoke of having been in this position many times before.

The youkai younglings looked surprised by his offer, then wary. Finally, the tallest of them moved forward and shook his head. "No, it's forbidden."

Inuyasha felt a sneer starting to cross his face. "Too good to play with a human, a fox, or a hanyou?"

The boy looked shocked, reacting to the nastiness of the half-demon's tone more than his words. "N...no, hanyou-sama," he said, bowing deeply. His finger came up to point at Rin. "We can't play with her, it's not allowed."

His eyebrows raised in surprise, glancing back at the little girl who still sat on his shoulders with her fists buried in his long white hair. "That true, Rin?"

She nodded vigorously. "I'm not supposed to play with demons," she said softly, so only his ears could hear her. "Makiko says that Sesshomaru-sama will be very angry if they hurt me by accident."

He was momentarily nonplussed by her words. His brother was that protective of her? _Huh_, he mused, thinking this was something of a surprise. "He would be angry, wouldn't he?"

Inuyasha made a snap decision that had nothing to do with his brother's orders. "Tell you guys what," he said bluntly, getting their attention. "You can tell them you were playing with me if you want. Nothing is going to happen to Rin, she's my responsibility. Now do you want to play?"

The way their faces lit up at his words made him ashamed he'd thought ill of them before. _Their parents might not want them playing with a dirty blood hanyou_, he thought, _but at least the kids don't have a problem with it_. He dropped Shippou so the little kitsune could run to retrieve his ball.

"Okay," he grinned, shifting Rin a little bit so she could see over his head. "Let's play."

oOo

Kohaku kept to the shadows, watching his sister's friends playing with the youkai children. He felt no desire to join in; playing so easily would feel strange. He'd been watching his sister for the past few minutes anyway, wondering if he should just ask her about her situation. Somehow, he couldn't quite find the words and sighed heavily.

She looked so...happy. It had to mean that she wasn't being treated badly by Sesshomaru, for whatever reason, the demon lord had been kind to the both of them in letting them reunite. Still, she was his sister and he was the only member of their family that was still living. Shouldn't he be protective of her? Never mind that Sango could take care of herself in battle, this was something different.

The boy withdrew from the shadows when he heard the sound of footsteps coming his way. It was Jano and a stranger he'd never met before. He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to be a bother, but his heart wasn't going to let him leave the subject alone. Jano noticed him waiting and smiled easily at him

"Jano-san," Kohaku greeted him, bowing politely.

The bodyguard stopped and looked down at him. "Kohaku, were you waiting for me or is there some other reason you're lurking here?"

He blushed. "I wasn't waiting for you, not exactly." He was careful not to look at the strange demon, remembering the incident with Hisuni from a few days ago. "I was wondering if you could take me to see Sesshomaru-sama."

Jano raised an eyebrow and frowned. "He's really busy, Kohaku. Is this something that can wait?"

The boy shook his head and set his chin firmly before his resolve could weaken. "No, Jano-san. I need to speak to him as soon as I can."

"Can you tell me why?"

Kohaku looked down at the ground. "It's personal."

"It's in regards to his sister, I believe," the stranger said quietly. Kohaku was startled enough to look up and meet the lord's eye. "You wish to ask Sesshomaru-sama if his intentions towards your sister are honorable."

Jano swore lightly. "Don't do that please, Barou-sama. Most creatures don't appreciate having their secrets read aloud."

He turned back to Kohaku and placed a comforting hand on the young man's shoulder. "It's okay, Kohaku. You don't have to say anything."

"It's true," the boy whispered, staring openly at Barou now. "How did you know?"

The clanlord smiled slightly and touched the boy on the chin, ignoring Jano's grunt of annoyance. "It wasn't difficult, humans are much easier to read than youkai. Your affection for your sister is very strong." A slightly dreamy look caught the lord's eye then and then his face darkened considerably. Anger flickered over Barou's face and he pulled his hand back as if he'd been burned.

"Jano," he said accusingly. "What has been done to this child? His mind is innocent, but his memories are horrifying. What kind of monster is responsible? This boy has been violated most hideously."

Kohaku backed slowly away, afraid of Barou and even Jano now. Somehow this man could see everything, all the horror he'd sobbed out to his sister. He didn't want another demon in his mind, not ever, not again. He'd kill himself before he'd let his body be used as a tool of destruction.

"You're scaring him, Barou," Jano said harshly, stepping between them.

Barou looked very angry now, his fangs were bared and his eyes had a haunted look. "If I find out that this has been done by one of Sesshomaru's people," he began hotly.

Jano looked fierce. "Do you think that Sesshomaru would stoop to mind-raping a child? I know what was done to Kohaku, but it wasn't done here! For the love of the gods, Barou! Are you so damn paranoid that you think he'd do something like that?"

The anger slowly faded from the clanlord's face. "I guess not," he said in a soft, dangerous tone. "I can tell your outrage is genuine and I have no choice but to believe your words."

"You didn't have to read my mind to know that," Jano growled back. Kohaku felt uncomfortable, trapped between two obviously powerful youkai.

"You don't like me much, do you, Jano?" Barou said in his quiet voice.

The bodyguard's eyes flashed. "I don't much like what you are and I don't like what you've done in the past. Sesshomaru trusts you, he knows you and understands you. I don't. I think that someone who can and does go into the minds of whoever he wills is dangerous."

Barou's expression didn't change, becoming every bit as unreadable as his cousin's. "Say what you like. I have no regrets about anything I've done. How are my actions different from your own other than the methods I use? You've killed plenty under the Daimyo's orders as well as Sesshomaru's."

"I didn't kill off half my own clan in a fit of paranoid rage," Jano bit out. Barou flushed and looked away, but Jano pursued the subject relentlessly. "The Daimyo should have executed you for that."

"Perhaps," Barou answered, his eyes going quite placid and mild again. "If you'd been raised in that household, you might feel differently. Or have you forgotten my lovely sister?"

Kohaku felt Jano's hand tighten on his shoulder and held very still. There was obviously something personal between these two and the mutual dislike was hard to endure.

"I'm sorry," the boy squeaked out nervously.

Jano instantly relaxed his hand. "No, I'm sorry Kohaku. This isn't your affair." He glared at Barou. "I assume you can find your own way out of the fortress, my lord."

Barou nodded and swept away from them, heading for the nearest staircase. Kohaku held his breath as he felt the tension start to drain out of Jano. Finally, the bodyguard turned the boy to face him and looked down into Kohaku's eyes.

"Are you certain you really want to talk to Sesshomaru about it?"

Kohaku nodded firmly. It wouldn't do to back down now, he had to do it. "Yes, Jano-san."

Sighing heavily, Jano rubbed the back of his neck. "All right then, let's go see if he's got a minute free."

Kohaku followed Jano all the way up the stairs, remembering that Sesshomaru's private rooms were located at the top of the tallest tower. He tried not to be nervous, but his heart was still pounding incessantly in his chest.

Jano tapped on the door and then pulled Kohaku inside. "My lord?"

The youkai lord looked up from the scroll he was examining and frowned slightly. He met the amusement in Jano's gaze and turned his golden eyes on Kohaku.

"What is it?"

"I believe Kohaku has something he'd like to discuss with you," Jano said mildly. He shot a wicked smile at Kohaku as he slipped back out the door. "Good luck, kid."

Sesshomaru stood up and regarded the young man impassively. "Kohaku."

He remembered his manners suddenly and bowed deeply. "Thank you for seeing me, Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru regarded the young man with a serious expression. Sensing something unusual in Kohaku's demeanor, he slowly set down the scroll and moved to stand in front of the boy. "You wished to speak to me?"

Kohaku swallowed hard. "Yes, my lord. It's about my sister."

The youkai raised an eyebrow at him and didn't so much as blink. "And?"

He nodded, feeling his throat gone dry. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about, my lord. She's my sister and my only family I have."

"I am aware of the circumstances, Kohaku," the lord said dryly. Was it possible that Kohaku objected to the relationship? Certainly a variable he had not foreseen. Then it suddenly clicked in Sesshomaru's mind. Only family, the young brother gathering his courage to speak to his sister's lover. This had to be a human tradition of some kind. The boy might not object, but obviously felt obligated in some way to see to his sister's welfare.

He sighed lightly. It would have to be dealt with sooner or later.

"Kohaku, accompany me," he said softly and went to the balcony. The boy followed after a moment, not wanting to offend the demon by showing hesitation. It wasn't as if Sesshomaru needed to throw him off the balcony to be rid of him.

Sesshomaru looked out over the stunning view, listening as the young human next to him took a deep breath of pleasure at the sight. He gestured in a long, slow wave. "What do you see, Kohaku?"

"My lord?" Kohaku wasn't sure what the demon meant. It was a stunning view, breathtaking really. What did it have to do with Sango and himself?

"I am lord of this place," Sesshomaru said quietly. "You know that already, my word is law. Whom I choose to take to my bed and make part of my life is not to be questioned, even by yourself."

Kohaku blushed, outright blushed from pure embarrassment. "I'm sorry, my lord. I...I shouldn't have come here."

A light touch brushed his shoulder and Kohaku found himself compelled to look up at the tall demon, meet that icy golden gaze. So empty of human emotion, so unforgiving and remote. Kohaku felt purely exposed and hoped that the youkai wasn't going to just kill him on the spot. It would break his sister's heart.

Sesshomaru divined what the human was feeling purely by instinct. The boy's pulse had sped up and his breathing grew harsher. He was afraid, justifiably so perhaps.

It did nothing for him to have Sango's brother quail in fear of him and Sesshomaru felt an unaccustomed sympathy invade his heart. "Kohaku, I'm not going to kill you for coming to me with a valid concern. I hold your sister in very high regard."

Relief spread through the boy's body in an almost palpable wave. Sesshomaru wondered about human emotions. Kohaku had come to him out of love of his sister. He had reflected once before that their love for each other was vulnerability, a weakness that could be exploited. It was also that love that gave Kohaku the courage to come here, face the lord of the West on what had to be a touchy and uncomfortable subject.

"Have I satisfied your curiosity regarding my intentions?" he asked, a rare smile crossing his face. Rather than being angry or offended, the incident was becoming a source of amusement to him. He looked forward to relating this interchange to his mate. For that was how he was referring to her in his own mind now, even unaware of the life that was growing within her, unannounced and still private, she was his mate and this was now the brother of his mate. Good enough.

"Yes, my lord," Kohaku said, relieved beyond words. As long as the demon was treating his sister with respect, he could rest easy about it. Now he could understand the happiness in his sister's eyes that he knew wasn't just for his sake. That was good; she had someone to turn to. Kohaku bowed politely once again, the youkai lord already dismissing him to turn away and look over the wide, lovely valley.

oOo

"The rules are simple," Jano said bluntly, meeting the hanyou's sullen expression. "Non lethal attack only, no youki strikes. Only bare muscle and claws. Don't tell me that's going to be a problem for you?"

Inuyasha snorted. "I can handle anything he can throw out at me, don't make me fucking laugh."

Jano glared at him. "This is serious, you stupid shit. You want to look like an idiot when you fight him?"

The hanyou turned a deadly look on his brother's bodyguard. "Non lethal combat," he bit out. "I won't kill the fucker, is that what you want to hear?"

"More or less," Jano grumbled. The word was out all over the fortress. Yasuke had sent a challenge to the hanyou, Inuyasha had accepted even though in certain eyes it was a serious breach of protocol. The court was whispering about it, scullery maids gossiped to guards, young demons made bets with each other about the outcome.

Jano was amused that the incident was causing such a stir. For his part, Sesshomaru hadn't commented regarding the challenge, Yasuke's claims of unprovoked insult or his brother's angry acceptance. All he'd said, privately for Jano's ears alone, was that if his annoyance of a half brother was so stupid as to accept such a challenge, he had better not embarrass the bloodline by losing.

Excitement was building in the fortress by the time that sunset was approaching. In ancient tradition, Yasuke had chosen the time as his right as challenger. Inuyasha didn't give a damn either way, saying loudly to make sure he was overheard that if Yasuke made him miss dinner there was going to be hell to pay.

Shaking his head, Jano wondered if the young hanyou had any idea how much interest was being generated by his loud mouth. Bragging was part of the duel, supported by the social structure as a way to feel out the true nature of the challenge. Win or lose, it was public now and blood pride was on the line.

He had one or two more things to do before all hell decided to cut loose. Signaling to a pair of guards, he called them over. It wasn't lost on Jano that tonight happened to be the full moon, and thus a celebratory feast night. For those who lived in the fortress, indeed almost all dog demons, the full moon was considered to be a special night.

It was Sesshomaru's father who had come up with the notion of honoring it with a feast. Even the most loyal subjects needed a little time off to socialize and regroup.

As Jano recalled, his own father had told him about how Inutaisho had set about establishing his own traditions when he assumed the role of Daimyo. The previous lord had been such a grim, cruel and violent creature that his son had deliberately started marking the day of his death with a celebration. This had evolved into a feast once a month and it was easier to track the time by the phases of the moon. Sesshomaru had seen no reason to discontinue such a popular tradition even if he himself avoided the gatherings almost religiously.

Shiou and Haru approached warily to Jano's summons. As far as they knew, neither of them had done anything to earn his displeasure or his wrath. The story of Nizo's stupidity had made its way through the guard and everyone was trying like hell to not follow in his footsteps. Jano's dark eyes were twinkling with mischief and both guards felt a touch uneasy about it.

Jano clapped Haru on the back and pushed Shiou to face where he was pointing. "I need you two to be my eyes tonight," he said mildly. "I can't be everywhere at once and I'd take it as a personal favor if you would keep an eye on my special guests."

"The humans?" Haru blurted out. Shiou turned a distinct shade of green. "Don't you think maybe they should just stay in their rooms tonight?" he asked.

Grinning, Jano shook his head. "Not at all. I see no reason to lock them away." His fingers tightened meaningfully on the back of Haru's neck. "Not when I can arrange such outstanding security for them."

Shiou and Haru glanced at each other, at a loss for how to protest. Jano was purely enjoying their discomfort. "Come on, lads, it's just a girl, a monk, a kitsune pup and a boy. You can't keep watch over them?"

"What about the other one, the exterminator woman?" Shiou said grumpily. Jano's claw flicked out to snag his chin painfully.

"Don't you think you should have a little more respect in your tone for Sesshomaru-sama's chosen lady?"

Their eyes nearly boggled out of their heads and Jano laughed at the consternation in their faces. "Oh, you didn't know?" he sneered playfully. Better that he made sure they knew, made sure they spread the gossip accurately.

"Just so you understand that's why she doesn't need any additional protection. It would be suicidal for anyone to treat her with even the least bit of disrespect. Pass the word."

They nodded slowly and moved away, heads close and muttering. Might as well make sure it was common knowledge, no sense in letting another incident like what had happened with Nizo take place again. Whistling lightly to himself, he made his way across the courtyard. It was late afternoon and already he could smell the wonderful aroma of the feast being prepared.

Mouth watering like a pup's, he decided it wasn't too far out of his duties to inspect the kitchen and make sure the meal was up to standard. One way or another, it was going to be an entertaining evening.

Down in the cavernous kitchen, controlled chaos reigned supreme. Jano had to duck out of the way several times as various helpers and cooks came barreling past him, intent on their work. He wandered lazily around the room, sniffing here and there at the food being prepared until his nose led him to where the meat was being slowly roasted.

Two sweaty looking younglings were crouched by the hearth, obviously having been threatened with dire consequences should they let that meat burn. He grinned at them and they smiled back, unable to be heard over the shouting and confusion that was echoing across the room.

Jano leaned in close to the fire to cut off a portion of the roast, walking away and stuffing most of it in his mouth. Juice dribbled down his chin and he licked his fingers with satisfaction.

"Jano!" He turned, seeing Makiko advancing on him with a predatory gleam in her eye. The woman pulled a long, very long, carving knife from her pocket and took a rather threatening stance. "What are you doing cutting into that roast, it's not done!"

"I'll take my chances," he muttered around his mouthful. Really, Makiko could be such a stickler for the rules. She ran the kitchen with assiduous attention to hygiene. Angrily, she gestured at the short blade he had used for slicing his snack.

"That blade is probably filthy," she growled. "I have no idea what you use it for and I really don't want to know. You have no business sticking that into something that others will eat. I know you were raised better than that."

For the love of the gods, she sounded like his mother now. Shaking his head, Jano turned and left her standing there. "Lighten up, Makiko. No one is going to suffer because I snipped off a bite of roast."

She fell into step behind him, still holding that carving blade like she wanted to use it on him. "That's not the point," the woman snapped peevishly. "I swear you do these things to drive me crazy, it's like looking after a child. Don't you think I have enough to do already without having to police the kitchens?"

Jano yawned, he'd been up late the night before and was starting to wonder if he'd have a chance for a quick nap before the fun started at sunset. Probably not. Makiko followed him all the way out of the kitchen, nagging like she was never going to stop. Finally, a sharp blow to his shoulder made him turn around to face her.

Makiko's face was flushed. "Have you even heard a word I said?"

"I was trying to block it out," he snapped. With a low growl of annoyance, Makiko sheathed her knife and grabbed Jano's arm to pull him into her small office.

"I was talking to you about this ridiculous challenge of Yasuke's. I can't believe Sesshomaru-sama is allowing it to proceed."

"It's his choice, Makiko," he said mildly, folding his arms and looking down at the angry woman. Her temper brought a delicate flush to her cheeks, made her eyes sparkle like jewels. It was hardly the first time he'd been on the receiving end of her whiplash anger, but he was still fascinated as always.

"Why are you making such a big deal out of it? You can't stand Yasuke any more than I can, I thought you'd like seeing him get the spit kicked out of him publicly."

"Proper protocol," she began.

He shook his head, getting a little angry himself now. "Protocol be damned, you think Inuyasha cares about that? Hell, he's looking forward to any excuse to hit him again."

Makiko glared at him. "You're responsible for this, aren't you, Jano? You're the one who put the idea in Yasuke's head for a public duel."

He had to laugh at that; she was indeed a sharp one. "What if I did? Thought it would be good for that sullen puppy of a hanyou to let his people see that he's not a weak half-breed."

Her eyebrows rose curiously. "Who said that to him?"

Jano snorted. "Nobody here, but that's what he thinks we all think of him. Told me to my face that he hated us full blood bastards. I thought it might be good for him to settle a few of his personal issues."

"So you set up Yasuke for this purpose?" Makiko folded her arms and shook her head. "Gods, Jano. Why would you do something like that? Whatever that boy thinks of himself or us is not your problem. You shouldn't interfere."

"That's exactly what I thought you'd say," he retorted. He wasn't surprised she disapproved, but Makiko hadn't grown up in this fortress or known Inutaisho. Jano couldn't explain that Inuyasha reminded him strongly of Naota at that angry stage. He felt a strong urge to do something about it, out of loyalty to his former Daimyo if nothing else.

One son consumed by anger, one son frozen in ice. Although Sesshomaru had been showing distinct signs of thawing. He had no idea why, but he also knew better than to prod. And if his nose wasn't playing tricks on him, things were much more serious between the demon lord and the exterminator than anyone else yet realized.

"Just let me worry about it," he told Makiko mildly.

"Hopeless meddler," she scoffed. "I don't know why I bother trying to get through to you."

He swung back around and grabbed her by the arms before she could react. Easily, he lifted her up and plopped her down on the table, leaning forward until his nose was almost touching hers. "I don't know why you bother either. I also don't know why you always refuse me. If you want to talk, let's talk about that."

She shoved at him. "Get off me, idiot. This is not the time or the place to discuss it."

His finger tickled her chin and she glared at him. Jano grinned. "You're too tense. I know a good way to relax you, take your mind off other people's problems."

"I don't need your help," she hissed.

"I disagree," he answered. Boldly, he leaned forward and gave her a playful lick on her chin. She jerked away from him, eyes narrowed in annoyance. It wasn't the first time they'd played this game.

Makiko put on her sweetest smile, the one that would send the household staff running for cover. "What's the matter, Jano? Can't your ego handle the fact that there's one female in this fortress that won't fall at your feet?"

"Ego has nothing to do with it," he murmured. Another quick lick, this one just below the ear. "I already fell at your feet a long time ago. You turned me down."

"I should have stepped on you instead," Makiko grumbled. With a graceful twist, she managed to free herself and jump off the table. Right into Jano's chest and he immediately clamped his arms down over hers, plastering them together in a tight embrace.

Makiko's nose was buried in the leather armor he customarily wore and she was aware of the intimate contact between their bodies. Chest to chest, hip to hip and thigh to thigh, there was barely an inch of her that wasn't touching Jano. Makiko's hands curled into tight fists, willing herself to not give in, she was not going to be a slave to her hormones or a notch on anyone's bedpost.

Jano felt her resistance starting to waver and wondered if this time he was actually going to see some kind of positive response out of the defiant Makiko. _Talk about someone needing to thaw out a bit_, he thought wryly. Her arms slowly moved to embrace him, sliding around his back and wandering upwards toward his shoulders. He smiled, eased back and moved to kiss her, having been waiting for this moment for some time.

Something sharp poked him in the stomach. Jano pulled back from Makiko just enough to realize it was his own knife that was threatening him. She'd slipped it from his belt without his knowledge. Makiko looked at him with an amused condescension and slowly moved the blade lower.

"I'd suggest you remove your hands from my person, Jano-san. Unless you wish to be rather painfully neutered? And I already mentioned, I can't vouch for the cleanliness of this blade."

"Threats of violence," he murmured before he dropped his arms and let her free of his embrace. "Makiko, I'm flattered that you care so much."

With a swift move any of the guard might envy, Makiko turned and threw his knife, embedding it deeply in the wood of the doorframe. "I have work to do," she muttered, shoving past him without so much as a backward glance. He had to grin as he pulled his knife free. She always knew just how to make him do whatever she wanted. One day soon, he vowed to return the favor.


	18. Eighteen

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

Dusk was settling over the fortress, long shadows were cast over the high stone walls, painting the open courtyard in shades of gold. Slowly, as if answering some hidden call, youkai began to gather. Dignified lords moved to take seats along the walls, whispering to each other behind slim hands. Over in the entryways, stable hands were arguing hotly with members of the household guard, taking bets and giving odds on the upcoming challenge.

Inuyasha didn't give a damn about any of it. Scowling, arms folded firmly across his bared chest, the hanyou stood waiting. He didn't care that many eyes were focused upon him. Fine, the more, the better. He didn't mind having an audience when he handed that arrogant young demon his ass. His eyes flicked restlessly over the crowd until he spotted Kagome. The girl saw him searching for her and stood up so he could see her better. Her smile shone at him like the light of a thousand suns and he had to stop himself from grinning back at her.

Kagome sat back down when Inuyasha turned away. She couldn't help herself, her face didn't show it, but she was a little bit concerned. From the excitement that was building around her, she could sense that a formal challenge was a very big deal to dog demons.

Nervously, she pulled at fine silk of her kimono. Makiko had cornered the girl in her room earlier, insisting her outfit had to go. Kagome protested in vain, tried several times to wheedle her way out of wearing the elegant thing. As many had found before her, dog demon or human, nobody could deter Makiko once she'd made up her mind about something.

"Kagome, I don't see why you're protesting. The garment is much more flattering to you than that...thing…you wear."

Flushing, she finally gave up and accepted the clothing. She'd never told anyone, not even Inuyasha, but the reason she chose to wear her school fuku so doggedly in the Sengoku Jidai was because sometimes she thought she might forget who she really was. It wasn't always practical; it wasn't always comfortable, particularly when it was cold outside. But it was her connection to her life at home, her real life, the life that had a mother and a little brother waiting for her, and the one where she had math homework and friends that knew nothing about evil demons or sacred jewels.

Without that tangible link to her personal reality, Kagome sometimes wondered if one day she might forget to go home.

Now her hands brushed idly at her lap, feeling way too conspicuous in the bright scarlet silk. Makiko had nothing but approval in her eyes when her young human had donned the clothing.

"Why Kagome, you're absolutely lovely," she murmured, her fingers brushing through the girl's dark hair. She considered putting the girl's hair up in the style of young ladies of the household, but decided against it. The glossy ebony strands contrasted beautifully against the brilliant silk, highlighting it and bringing out the delicate coloring of the girl's creamy skin.

Miroku said as much when he saw her, whistling low and walking in an appreciative circle around her. "Very flattering," he murmured, grinning at her to make sure she knew he really wasn't trying to set her up for a grope.

Kagome flushed and looked away. "Makiko insisted," she said, a faint pleased smile on her face.

"Makiko is known for getting her way," Jano said, leaning insolently against a wall. His dark eyes gleamed appreciatively at her. "I must compliment her on her choice of colors. The red most definitely suits you."

The bodyguard bowed elaborately to her, his long dark topknot sweeping elegantly over his shoulder. "Might I escort you to the courtyard, my lady Kagome?"

She couldn't help but giggle at his pretense. "Jano, you're so funny. I swear you're looking forward to this."

"The fight? Absolutely. Yasuke has been a thorn in my side for years, him and that father of his." Jano shut his mouth, thinking that it might just be a tad bit inappropriate for him to be discussing private issues with what was essentially an outsider. Kagome didn't seem to notice, her large eyes still sparkling with humor. Jano felt the stirrings of an odd desire; the girl was quite beautiful.

_And much too young_, he chided himself. Even if it wasn't painfully obvious to even the most casual observers that she was desperately in love with that temper tantrum of a hanyou.

Jano let his guests to the courtyard personally. A quick nod to Shiou and Haru who were hovering anxiously awaiting their duties. He made sure Kagome and Miroku got the best seats, ones that would have normally been reserved for high-ranking youkai. There had been a few grumbles, possibly from Hisuni-sama's closest associates, that Haru and Shiou had made sure to reserve these places.

With a faint grin, he noticed Sango and Miroku making their way towards them, young Rin, Kohaku, and the kitsune boy close behind them.

Sango sat down, tossing her hair out her way as she settled on the stony bench next to Kagome. "Are you worried?" she asked in a low voice.

Kagome shook her head. "No, I'm just hoping everything goes all right. I guess there are rules about how this supposed to work. I hope Inuyasha knows what to do."

Shrugging, Sango didn't tell Kagome that she had the same feelings. She didn't dare think that Inuyasha could lose, how could some pampered young demon beat him? Unless there was something underhanded in the works. She still wasn't sure what it all meant. Between Makiko's cryptic comments about protocols and the thinly veiled excitement that was being displayed, she found herself wondering if Inuyasha shouldn't have just left well enough alone.

Miroku and Shippou did not seem to share her hesitation in the slightest for that matter. The kitsune was looking forward to the fight, not just because it was exciting. Unbeknownst to his companions, he'd wagered his favorite toy to a demon lad over the outcome of this.

"No hanyou can beat a full blooded youkai," the boy scoffed.

Shippou looked thoughtfully at the proud young man. "You don't know Inuyasha," he said with a grin. "He really hates to lose and I've seen him take on much bigger demons."

The young man shook his head, scoffing. "It would be easy to beat anyone with the Tessaiga. My father says the hanyou probably doesn't have any skill without it."

His eyes narrowed slightly at this sentiment. Shippou knew better than most how hard Inuyasha fought to stay alive. He didn't think he'd pull any punches just because it wasn't his life on the line. "Care to make a bet on that?"

The murmuring around the courtyard reached an almost deafening level suddenly as the sun started to dip beneath the horizon. Young demons ran around the perimeter, swiftly lighting oil soaked torches that had been placed earlier. Sweet smelling smoke began to fill the air, the flickering light casting shadows and making eerie patterns on the gray stone of the walls. As if on a prearranged signal, the whispering died down and an expectant silence reigned over the assembled demons.

Yasuke had made his entrance, appearing from a small cluster of youkai, obviously his friends or relatives. Kagome strained to get a look at him. He was young, dark haired, looking pretty much like the other youkai males she'd already encountered. Slender of build, his body was leanly muscled and his walk had a confidence that Kagome hoped was more for show than anything else.

_Come on, Inuyasha_, she thought.

The hanyou's eyes narrowed in dislike at the approach of the young lord. _Cocky full blood bastard_, he thought contemptuously. His golden eyes gleamed in the firelight. Jano had quietly suggested that he pull his hair out of the way before starting this fight. Inuyasha had grunted in agreement and swiftly gathered his silvery white mane into a messy topknot, securing it clumsily with a piece of leather handed to him by Jano.

Yasuke smirked openly at him as he approached. Stopping at a prescribed distance, he stood quietly for a moment, making sure that the muttering of the audience had died down enough for all to hear his words. "Yesterday you attacked me without provocation," he began.

"You fucking deserved it," Inuyasha countered loudly, his hands already balling into fists. A general tittering followed the comment; already he'd breached protocol by interrupting his challenger.

Yasuke glared at him. "I'm the one who's doing the challenging," he snarled.

"So get on with it," Inuyasha barked. "I ain't got all night, ya punk."

"Peasant", Yasuke muttered, disgusted with the sounds of laughter from the spectators. "I demand satisfaction. You attacked me, insulted me, and dared to lay your hands upon my person. I formally challenge you to a duel in the name of my bloodline's honor."

Inuyasha yawned loudly, even though he was in no way tired. He just wanted to be sure that Yasuke knew how boring this was to him. "Come on, asshole," he growled playfully. "Enough with the yapping, you wanna fight me or not?"

Laughter echoed off the stone walls and this time it was on Inuyasha's side. Everyone watching was just as anxious for the action to begin. Yasuke flushed and glared around him angrily, upset at losing the advantage his dignity and bloodline would have afforded to him.

"All right, if that's what you want," he said tensely. Stupid hanyou didn't have any manners and no idea what a crass fool was making of himself.

The two combatants started to circle each other, each gauging the other's abilities, strength, reach, and speed. Inuyasha had already made up his mind about how he wanted this fight to go, quick, down and dirty. No fucking around, no prancing or dancing, he wasn't doing this to show off or make anyone impressed by his moves. Just get it over with.

He cracked his knuckles, grinning as Yasuke paused, his eyes narrowed. The hanyou met his gaze. "What are you waiting for?" Inuyasha asked in a soft, malicious tone. "You need someone to hold your hand?"

Yasuke stopped, spun around and flew at him, ready to make the first strike. His fist connected hard with Inuyasha's mouth, the hanyou making no attempt whatsoever to dodge him. A soft growl broke over the crowd, excited by the first blow. Inuyasha's head rocked back a bit from the punch, a thin trickle of blood appeared on his lip. He raised the back of his hand to blot it away, licking at the crimson stain thoughtfully.

"That's not bad for a start," he commented, meeting Yasuke's surprised look. "I'm sure you can do better. Go on, hit me again."

"What?" Yasuke looked pissed now. The fight had begun, challenge given and accepted. He's thrown the first blow and now the idiot wanted to be hit again?

_Insolent fool_, Yasuke thought with an angry snarl distorting his features. "If you insist," he growled lightly.

The demon came at him again, faster this time, landing two rapid-fire blows right to Inuyasha's face. Still, the hanyou made no move to defend himself, just keeping his feet and not giving any ground during the assault. He grinned even more, his lips slick with blood.

"Harder! Hit me harder, you worthless lapdog. I want to feel it this time!"

"What the hell is he doing?" Miroku asked in a low aside to Sango. It wasn't like Inuyasha to just stand there and let himself be used as a battering dummy. The monk could hear a low rumble of disapproval from the crowd. This was no way to conduct a formal challenge.

Sango chewed on her lip nervously, watching the scene with a sense of befuddlement that had to be shared by all the other spectators. This wasn't right, Inuyasha didn't fight like this. _Is he planning something_, she wondered. Like her friends, she had hoped for a quick resolution to this conflict. Why didn't he defend himself or at least launch his own attack? It made no sense and she felt even more uneasy.

Yasuke attacked again, furious, realizing that the hanyou was making fun of him, making fun of this challenge. He landed three more hard blows to the half-demon's torso, hearing a grunt and a hiss each time his fist connected solidly with flesh. He wasn't using his claws, saving that for later, but it infuriated him that Inuyasha wasn't even going to try to hit him back. Yasuke had every confidence in his speed and skill; it just wasn't fair of the hanyou to make them unnecessary.

"What's the matter with you?" he snapped, angry and insulted. "You think I'll go easy on you if you don't fight back?"

The hanyou just grinned and spat a bit of blood on the ground. "Do I look scared, Yasuke-sama?" he asked mockingly. The strangest feeling had overtaken him just as he'd started in with the fight. He felt like he was floating above it all. _Not yet_, the voice inside him was whispering. _Make him work for it; make him understand that you can handle whatever he gives you_.

He dropped his hands, standing open and defenseless again as Yasuke jumped into the air, moving with an easy, practiced grace and kicked the hanyou full in the chest, sending him skidding into the ground. A triumphant roar filled the courtyard as the youkai watching saw the white-haired outsider finally go down.

"Is that what you wanted?" Yasuke asked contemptuously. He was angry enough that the hanyou chose to mock him by not fighting back; he would just have to end this without the satisfaction of a real conflict. Stupid fool wanted to be beaten to a pulp, he didn't know why and he didn't really care anymore.

Inuyasha was slowly getting to his feet, a grim smile still firmly in place and darkness in his eyes. "Thank you," he murmured.

Thank you? Yasuke hesitated before attacking again. Was it a trick to draw him out, exhaust him before the fight began for real? He was breathing hard now, not from exertion as much as anger. It was ridiculously insulting; he was getting no satisfaction whatsoever from fighting like this.

Kagome couldn't stand it anymore, her hands were clenched in tight fists and tension stood out starkly on her face. _What is he doing_, she wondered. It wasn't like Inuyasha; he should have flattened the other demon or at least dodged those blows.

"Inuyasha! Stop playing with him already!"

Yasuke turned and scowled at the human wench who dared interrupt the proceeding fight. _Playing with him_, he thought, his lip curling in anger. _I'll show this half-breed filth not to play with me_. Snarling, he attacked again, claws poised to strike, tear the flesh off his opponent's bones.

Inuyasha caught his wrist, easily stopping him in his tracks. Yasuke looked up and saw an unpleasant look in the hanyou's eyes. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed, trying to break his opponent's hold.

Pulling him closer with a rough yank, the half-demon met Yasuke's furious eyes. In a low, harsh whisper, he spoke for Yasuke's ears alone. "I just didn't want anyone to think that what I'm about to do to you was unprovoked. I wanted you to get your best shots in before I take you apart."

Inuyasha twisted Yasuke's arm, spun him around and flipped the demon neatly over his shoulder to hit the ground hard. Yasuke was winded by the blow, but on his feet almost instantly. He readied himself to attack again, but Inuyasha was already in his face, delivering a stingingly vicious open palmed slap hard to his right cheek and an equally bruising backhand to his left. Before Yasuke could recover his balance, Inuyasha drove his fist hard into the demon's newly healed nose, enjoying the sound as the bones were fractured again.

Some strange emotion was on him, he wanted to hurt Yasuke, make him pay. His dog demon blood was chanting in his ear, it wasn't enough to beat him, he really wanted, needed, to humiliate him.

Yasuke roared angrily and rushed him, claws open and ready. Inuyasha caught him easily in a kick, his foot feeling a rib or two snap under the pressure. Yasuke backed off again, pain written all over his face. Inuyasha was far from done, chasing after him to grab the fool by his long hair, hold him still so he could pummel him ruthlessly.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered what had woken up this sadistic side of his nature.

He had to dominate him, had to beat him beyond what was necessary. It wasn't like his rage, where he'd completely lose control and just slaughter anything within reach. His heart felt like ice, he was coldly and calmly in control as he continued to beat the other demon into submission.

Yasuke made one last desperate attempt, his face bloodied by now, his strength going. He raked the claws of his right hand down Inuyasha's bare chest, leaving long deep scratches. Inuyasha realized that the claws were poisoned. Not a natural defense, this was some herbal compound. A piercing pain followed by a stark numbness traveled down his chest and started to spread over his skin.

"You cheating bastard," he ground out, that cold smile still fixed on his face.

Yasuke whimpered when Inuyasha lifted him up by his hair, holding him still so he could stare right into his eyes. "Who am I?" he asked, his claws tightening on the back of Yasuke's neck.

The other demon struggled against him, wondering what had possessed him to bring this wrath down upon himself. There had to be some way to get away from this pain. Weakly, he acknowledged defeat. "Hanyou-sama."

Inuyasha leveled one more hard blow to Yasuke's temple, rendering him unconscious before he dropped him like a limp bag of sand. The burning pain in his chest was making him want more, he wanted to blood this gutless fool, make him pay out his life's blood. Snarling sadistically, he went for him again, claws ready to rend and tear, fangs hungry for the taste of blood.

"Enough! This fight is over," Jano shouted, intercepting the hanyou.

Inuyasha gave him a deadly dark glare. "I say when it's over."

Jano froze momentarily. The challenge had been a fun idea, a good way to poke at Hisuni and his pompous cronies, but he had no intention of letting Yasuke be murdered in front of the entire fortress. He met the darkness full on, refusing to turn away from Inuyasha's glare. With a jolt, he recognized where he'd seen that expression before.

It was like Inutaisho had come back from the grave and was standing before him. He instantly understood why this fight had gone so strangely. If similarly, foolishly, challenged like that, the Daimyo would have been hell-bent on pursuing and punishing his challenger. Not to be satisfied by winning alone, he had to dominate, to humiliate, establish his superiority no matter what the cost of blood.

Breathing hard, Jano considered about what to do. He wondered if Sesshomaru had decided to come and watch the fight and then realized it didn't matter. Sesshomaru would let his brother kill Yasuke; there was no doubt about it. Jano had provoked this conflict by putting the idea into Yasuke's head, completely forgetting what kind of bloodline he was dealing with.

Sesshomaru had said as much, implying that he wouldn't so much as waste his time by watching the fight. A formal challenge was supposed to be non-lethal combat, a way for inuyoukai to settle matters of dominance and insult publicly. _Unless_, he thought queasily, _you were dealing with a daiyoukai bloodline that wouldn't be satisfied with just beating the other youkai_.

Gods, he really was an idiot, just like Makiko had said.

Dropping to his knees in front of the still waiting hanyou, he bent his head submissively. "I ask for your mercy, my lord," he murmured. Only Inuyasha could hear his words, but the entire fortress took in his traditional stance, the bowed head, and knew that Jano was asking the half-breed for Yasuke's life.

Inuyasha was startled and Jano's actions quite took him out of his strange mood. Asking for mercy, what the hell? Something about the whole moment felt weird, it was like a memory that couldn't quite be brought to light, it was like the instincts that his body had been pressuring him with had suddenly all awoken. He was just a hanyou, just an outcast, wasn't he? Wasn't he? He didn't belong here.

He felt his feet starting to back away, back off, and give Yasuke and Jano some room. He felt a tremor in his legs that had nothing to do with the fight he'd just had and everything to do with his physical reaction to Jano's words.

Mercy?

"My lord?" Jano asked again, not looking up, not meeting the half-demon's eyes. He waited, feeling precious seconds tick by in the dead calm of the moment. No one even dared to breathe, held by the drama that was unfolding. Inuyasha shivered, twitching almost, feeling the cold, tight emotion that had wrapped itself around his heart start to ease.

"Okay," he whispered, half to himself. "He doesn't have to die today."

Jano heard the change in his tone and his head snapped up, glad he was seeing Inuyasha in those golden eyes again, not the ghost of the Daimyo. Relief flooded his body and he got to his feet. Somehow, Jano just couldn't quite leave it at that; his sense of humor wouldn't let him. He really should learn to keep his mouth shut. Glancing back at the still unconscious Yasuke, he flashed a grin at Inuyasha.

"Guess he's lucky he caught you in such a good mood. I'd hate to see what you would have done if he really pissed you off."

Inuyasha stared at him for a moment, turning that idea over in his head. He caught the flavor of Jano's comment a moment later and started to smile, it was an almost shy, embarrassed smile, but it warmed his eyes. "I can't help it. I'm just a lowly hanyou. I can't help feeling sorry for him."

A hard hand grabbed Inuyasha's shoulder and he looked into Jano's warm eyes. "Not just a hanyou," he said softly. "Don't say it like it's something you're ashamed of. Your father would be proud of you for sparing him."

He flushed crimson and looked away, anywhere but at Jano. No one had ever said such a thing to him and he didn't know how to react. Inuyasha let a cocky mask drop over his face instead. "Whatever. I just got bored with pounding on him, okay?"

Jano nodded sharply and started to reply when he was rudely elbowed out of the way by Makiko. "Congratulations on your victory, Inuyasha-sama," she said crisply. "Will you need someone to see to those wounds?"

Her nose twitched and she leaned forward, examining the long gashes. "Poison? Jano, this is insufferable. Poison is strictly forbidden."

He grinned at her. "I know. What do you want me to do about it?" he asked, nodding at the unconscious demon.

Makiko flushed and looked back to Inuyasha. "You have every right to kill him for that. Cheating during a challenge is not to be tolerated."

Inuyasha shivered. No, he didn't want it. His desire for Yasuke's blood had drained away, making him feel empty. So they wouldn't notice the way he was starting to react, he growled softly. "Doesn't matter."

She eyed him for a moment then turned to gesture at one of her people. A quick exchange of whispers and the girl ran off. Around them, youkai were starting to leave the courtyard, muttering about the strange happenings. Makiko looked at his scratches again, frowning.

"These will need treated, I don't think the poison is lethal to you but you might scar badly from it. You don't want to carry around Yasuke's marks, do you?"

He guessed not. Makiko moved away so a cluster of young females could surround him. His eyes got wide as they started giggling, one of them holding a small earthenware pot of salve. He found he was blushing hard as the females started to treat his wound, smearing it with a pungent smelling concoction. Instantly, the stinging faded away and Inuyasha felt his knees go weak as several pairs of hands were suddenly upon him.

It felt pretty damn good. Was this part of the whole challenge thing? He decided he didn't really care anymore and his ears drooped forward and his eyelids closed under the gentle ministrations of no less than a half dozen demon girls who were whispering and giggling to each other as they rubbed his chest, back and arms. If they didn't stop soon, he was going to curl up in a ball and start purring.

Makiko seemed to sense that the young hanyou was nearing the end of his tolerance. She clapped her hands sharply, catching the girls' attention. "Take him inside before he falls over," she advised. A nice hot bath was being prepared and Inuyasha didn't seem to have a voice left to protest as the girls grabbed his wrists and pulled him away. He quite forgot that he had friends who might want to talk to him or congratulate him.

oOo

Kagome was trying to push her way through the crowd to get to Inuyasha, but she wasn't having much luck. She just caught a glimpse of him as he was being led back inside the fortress. "Damn," she murmured. She wanted to tell him that she was proud of him for not killing that Yasuke.

Regretfully, she realized her praise would have to wait and turned to work her way back through the crowd to Sango and Miroku. There was supposed to be some kind of feast celebration tonight. She'd see Inuyasha later. In the meantime, Jano had made it expressly clear that she wasn't to wander off on her own.

She found herself separated from her friends by a small cluster of richly dressed female youkai. Kagome noted that her own clothing was much the same style and quality, if such things were an indication of rank. Not that she'd ever pass for inuyoukai, that much she understood when she brushed up against a demon or two and they looked at her with suspicion, noses wrinkling.

Kagome tried not to take offense, reminding herself yet again that these people couldn't be accustomed to humans moving in their midst. She told her herself sternly that it was their home, their territory and just because some of the youkai she'd met seemed friendly, the others were perfectly within their rights to be wary of a stranger.

"Amusing diversion, that fight. I seriously thought Yasuke-sama was about to lose his life."

Kagome's ears pricked up in spite of herself. The woman's voice was low and soft, rich with an inflection of humor. She had wondered how these demons would react to seeing Inuyasha kick the living snot out of his challenger, even if there had been something strange about the fight. She listened intently, trying to place the conversation.

"Hiromi, it's a scandal! Hisuni-sama is sure to be outraged."

"Then his son shouldn't have challenged the hanyou," Hiromi answered smoothly.

Kagome found herself grinning, happy to hear a positive response to what had just taken place. The two females were just ahead of her, obviously young nobility themselves to judge by their clothing and manners. Kagome sidled up behind them, keeping her eyes cast down so no one would realize she was deliberately eavesdropping.

Hiromi's companion laughed softly. "I would have expected you to say that, I saw the way you were watching them. Really, your family would be appalled if they saw you drooling over a half-breed like that!"

Drooling? Suddenly, this didn't seem so amusing. Kagome had for some reason never considered that these full blood youkai women might find Inuyasha attractive. She supposed she had also bought into his belief that no pure youkai could see a half-demon as anything remotely acceptable. A funny feeling rose in her chest and Kagome wondered what Inuyasha would do if he realized that he was the object of some feminine admiration.

Hiromi's laugh had a sensuous ripple. "His human heritage doesn't bother me in the slightest. Not with that bloodline to back it up. Didn't you see how he moved during that fight? All that raw power and strength, it made me tingle just watching it."

Her companion made a rude noise. "You can't guarantee that a strong warrior will also make for an impressive bedmate. You're letting your hormones run away with you. Besides, haven't you heard the rumors? He arrived here with two human females; one of them is bound to belong to him."

"If she does, I'm sure she's hardly more than a pet," Hiromi said coolly. Kagome flushed and felt her hands clench. Who did this woman think she was, she didn't know the first thing about Inuyasha, what his life had been like or all the dangers they'd faced together. Who was she calling a pet?

"In any case," Hiromi said softly, "I've already made my decision. I want him for myself and I will have him tonight in fact. Care to place a wager on it?"

Kagome went cold inside when Hiromi's companion burst out laughing. "Scandal, scandal," she teased. "I know better than to wager against you when you're in a mood like this. Have your fun with the lord's little brother then. Just don't forget to let the rest of us in on the juicy details tomorrow morning!"

She stopped to let the women move on, unable to stand hearing any more. Her face was flushed and she felt her teeth starting to grind together. A tight hurtful feeling was twisting her stomach, she felt like someone had punched her. What would Inuyasha do? Would he ignore her? Kagome couldn't help but remember some of the reactions he had been having to being so close to other inuyoukai for the first time in his life. Wouldn't it be natural for him to be curious?

That Hiromi was beautiful, sophisticated and obviously experienced. How could she, Kagome, compare to that? Wouldn't it be normal for him to be just a little bit interested or curious about an inuyoukai female? He wouldn't have to worry about protecting her; a demon woman could take care of herself. And he wouldn't look in her face and see the ghost of a dead woman either.

_Either way_, she told herself sadly, _isn't_ _it still his decision to make?_

Kagome was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize someone was standing behind her, impatient for her to move out of the way. She was startled when a rough hand suddenly shoved her, almost hard enough to make her fall. She turned around and looked up into the eyes of an angry, angry looking demon.

"Out of my way, you human piece of filth!"

She was too stunned to say a word. He was tall, imposing and the way he looked at her made her want to cringe. "I'm...I'm sorry," she stammered, not quite understanding what she had done to earn such a hateful look from a youkai.

He glared at her. "You dare to speak directly to me, human? I should take your head for that." Kagome felt nervous, feeling other youkai coming up around her, gathering in a circle that hid the smaller girl from view. Something unpleasant was glittering in his eyes and Kagome swallowed hard.

_Whoever he is, he's too angry to be thinking straight_, she decided, catching a glint of red in his eyes.

She looked down, flushing. "I said I was sorry, please leave me alone."

A rough hand grabbed her by the jaw and Kagome looked desperately around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jano, Makiko, anybody who might help her. All she could see was the demon's companions, cruelty and hate oozing off them like a miasma worthy of Naraku himself. Strangely, thinking of the horrible demon put Kagome's courage back in her spine. She straightened and shoved his hand away with defiance worthy of Inuyasha himself.

"Don't touch me!"

He growled low in his throat. "A human should know her place," he rumbled, his claws flexing. She didn't know what she could have done to earn such a hateful look, but her chin came up, her eyes grew hard and she refused to back away or cower. Kagome felt a surge of power that she knew was her own unique abilities; she wasn't powerless. If he hit her, she'd purify the hell right out of him.

The youkai raised his hand to slap her aside, annoyed by this game. That the day had come when hanyou beat his own son and a human wench refused to back down, this was a sad day to be a youkai indeed. Still, she deserved a lesson for her insolence and he struck at her. Kagome braced for the blow, willing all her spiritual abilities to defend herself when something fast and slim darted across her path.

"You leave her alone!"

Kohaku had seen Hisuni's people surround Kagome and acted instinctively to protect his friend. Now he found Hisuni's attention focused on himself instead, which was what the boy had intended.

Hisuni gave a growl of rage and swung with all his considerable strength at the young boy. Kagome shouted a warning, desperately, but she wasn't fast enough to prevent the lord from striking Kohaku. The boy flew back hard into a wall and slumped over, dazed by the violence of the blow.

"Kohaku," she shrieked, running to his side. Kagome knelt beside him, taking his injured face in her hands. "Kohaku, are you okay? You didn't have to do that, I can handle myself!"

"Couldn't let him hit you," Kohaku muttered. "My father would be ashamed if I didn't protect you from someone like that. Inuyasha's not here, I had to keep him away from you."

"Inuyasha," the demon sneered. "Are you someone special to that half-breed, wench? I have taken enough insults from him, for my son and myself. I'm not about to start suffering the insults of humans as well!"

Hisuni moved swiftly past her, grabbing Kohaku by his throat and holding him up in the air. Kohaku struggled feebly, his legs kicking and finding nothing to connect with. Kagome sat horrified, watching as Kohaku's face turned red from the pressure being put on his neck.

"Stop it," she cried. "He's just a boy, don't hurt him!"

"Beg me for his life, human," Hisuni hissed, holding the boy still higher. "Beg for his life as my son was forced to by that half-breed filth and I might consider sparing both of your lives today!"

"Leave my brother alone!" a new voice screamed.

Sango saw her brother hanging limply from a demon lord's hand and felt an incandescent rage fill her body. She was crackling with fury, the aura of her anger standing out from her body almost like a halo. Demons who weren't used to a human who could produce such a palpable sensation of rage stepped back in wonder. Even Kagome was stunned to silence, watching her friend advance wrathfully on Hisuni's men.

Hisuni glared at this new insolent human and his fingers tightened meaningfully around the boy's neck. "This does not concern you."

"It concerns me because that's my brother you're throwing around. You put him down now!"

A human female would not order him. He would not be able to live with the shame of such a humiliation. Hisuni felt his own anger reaching a climax, he wanted to burn this bitch into the ground, snap her brother's neck, and kick the other cowering girl until she coughed blood. It was completely unreasonable, but the youkai had been pushed beyond what he could bear. Watching his oldest son being pummeled by a filthy half-breed, the shame of a once great and noble line had made him irrational.

Humans and demons did not belong together; disgusting abominations like hanyou were proof of that. Now he towered over the furious Sango.

"I will crush you," he hissed.

Hisuni tossed Kohaku like a rag doll, sending the boy crashing hard into the unforgiving stone pavement. The defiant woman gave a shout of anger at his rough handling of her only sibling and flung herself on him without a second thought. Sango couldn't think of battle tactics, or comprehend that attacking a demon lord barehanded was probably one of the most foolish things she'd ever done in her life. She longed for Hiraikotsu, one clean slice of her weapon's edge and this demon would find himself cleaved in two.

For now, her fingernails and fists would have to do, they were all she had and Sango felt a strange desire to feel the demon's blood in her fists as she never had before.

He saw her coming, saw the foolish human launch herself at him like a weapon, puny fingers outstretched to claim his skin. It was laughable, it was ridiculous. With a cold smile, he waited for the perfect moment in her leap, the flat of his palm striking her face and knocking her away from him.

Hisuni watched the woman fall, pleased to see her so easily batted away like the insect she was. It was over; he'd made his point. Humans like these were weak and simple. A lord of his bloodline and position had to defend his pride if nothing else. He was content to let them live, this time.

With an elegant sweep, he gestured to his men to leave the wretched creatures where they lay. It was about time someone reminded them of their place. Hisuni smiled to himself and started to walk away, a touch of violence had done much to appease his anger and insult. He was nearly gone from the open courtyard with a voice as hard as stone and cold as ice stopped him in his tracks.

"Hisuni."

Sesshomaru's face was utterly expressionless; he might have been one of the stone walls for all the emotion he was showing. He looked at the humans on the ground, noting the flush of a bruise forming on his mate's cheek. He glanced around him then, seeing that all activity had stopped, youkai and human alike were frozen in the moment like flies in amber, waiting, not breathing, for his next action.

Holding himself with all the stillness of death, destruction ebbing around him like leaves in a whirlwind, he looked at Hisuni again before speaking softly to the gathered spectators.

"Clear the courtyard."


	19. Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen__

There were, he decided, certain benefits to not living in the woods like a wild creature. Inuyasha sighed in pure pleasure as he sank deep into the steaming water. The bathing tub was deep enough that he could lean all the way back until the water came up to just under his chin.

Normally, he would have been a little too proud to admit how good it really felt. Such luxuries were for pampered pets, not him, but he had to level with himself right about now.

It felt pretty damn good.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he stared through the rising steam at the door. However good a little soak in some hot water felt, he wasn't going to put up with anything else. The gaggle of females that had half led, half dragged him in here had been hell-bent on staying in the room.

He snorted in disgust, and then had to cough as a bit of water went up his nose. Stupid girls, wanted to treat him like some kind of pet! They'd been genuinely distressed that no, he wasn't going to let them bathe him, no, they couldn't take turns washing his hair, and no, damn it, nobody got to play with the ears!

Annoyed, he sank deeper into the water, thankful that he'd at least managed to run them out with some mild growling so he could undress and soak in peace. It was humiliating, what the hell was he to these people anyway, a fucking toy? He would have thought his little demonstration with Yasuke would have put that right out of their minds.

Still, he thought, scratching absently behind his ear with a claw, those girls didn't look at him quite like he'd expected either. Instead they seemed disappointed about something.

He'd managed to wedge the door shut by sticking Tessaiga into the wall behind the catch. It gouged up the wood quite a bit, but what the hell did he care? As long as it meant he'd have his privacy until he was damned good and ready to get out of this water.

Of course they'd managed to dump a bunch of flowery smelling crap into it before he could stop them. He was going to stink to high hell, no doubt about it. At least tonight he wouldn't smell too much like a hanyou, unless it was a hanyou covered in perfume.

Head lolling back against the rim of the tub, he stretched out his legs in contentment. Just a few more minutes of this and he'd be all ready to get out. He'd get dressed, go find something to eat, and be perfectly happy to curl up in his own room. Funny, how he'd gotten over the idea of not sleeping here. He guessed if Sesshomaru really wanted to start shit he didn't need to do it by sneaking up on him. In fact, other than their friendly little exchange earlier, the bastard hadn't so much as said boo to him.

For that matter, did his brother talk to anyone? It seemed like they were either properly respectful or a little intimidated by their so-called lord of the fortress. Inuyasha scowled, not really surprised that his brother didn't even warm to his own people.

How did Sango put up with that? Inuyasha himself had never exchanged more than a few words with his brother without having to go for his sword. Then again, this time a knowing smirk creased his face, maybe Sango didn't talk to Sesshomaru at all, words not being necessary for whatever attraction they mutually felt.

He stretched, time to get out of the water and stop wallowing around like someone's lapdog. He stood up, reaching for the drying cloth that had been so inconsiderately hung up out of his reach.

There was the sound of a scuffle, a muted curse, and to Inuyasha's horror the door was forcibly wrenched open. He stared right at Makiko; he was standing up stark ass naked in the bath when the woman entered his privacy without so much as a polite knock.

"Are you finished yet?" she asked briskly, before reaching towards the towel as if she'd hand it to him.

He fell back with a huge splash and water surged over the rim of the tub. Makiko gave him an icy glare, water sparkling on her face.

"You are a most graceless creature, Inuyasha," she said in a disapproving tone.

"What?" he sputtered, full of outrage. "You just barged in on me!" _That was low_, he thought, sullenly snorting bubbles and hot water out of his nose. Woman should have some kind of decency to warn a guy before invading his bath!

She fixed him with a look that had dropped many full blood youkai in their tracks. "I beg your pardon. Most youkai are not shy about nudity. I assure you there's nothing that I haven't seen before."

Embarrassed and not wanting to show it, he growled at her until she narrowed her eyes, grabbed up the now wet toweling and gave him a precise snap right to the tip of his left ear. It hurt and he yelled before bringing both hands up to protect his head.

"Stop that yowling," she ordered, her tone stern but a grin starting to shine in her eyes.

He sunk deep into the tub, the water came right up under his nose and he watched her with suspicious yellow eyes. Makiko ignored the offended hanyou while she tidied up the room, leaving a bundle of something soft on the table while she picked up his haori. He realized she was making off with his clothes and ventured a protest.

"Put that fucking down!"

"It's dirty. I left you something fresh to wear. Don't make me come back in here to dress you as well."

The nerve of the woman! Angry, he leaned over the edge of the tub so he could grab at the dry towels she'd left him. "Just leave me alone, I'm sick of you people trying to get at me while I'm in here. You think I had that sword stuck in the door by mistake? Don't you get that I didn't want to be bothered?"

Gods give her patience. Makiko closed her eyes and tried not to laugh at the ridiculous young hanyou. "Inuyasha, I'm not trying to 'get at you'. Believe me, I have more important things on my mind that peeking at a wet half-demon who's overly shy."

He managed to wind the towels around himself to preserve his dignity and clambered out of the water. Makiko frowned at the still livid looking scratches on his chest and sighed.

"Do those still hurt? I have more salve if you need it."

She had taken a half a step towards the hanyou, reaching to touch him when he jumped away from her as if she intended to attack him under the guise of helping him. Her mouth thinned with annoyance at his antics. "Did you pick up that misplaced sense of modesty from living among humans for too long?"

Sullenly, he turned away, dropping a cloth over his head and starting to rub his hair dry. "If I did, it's not my fault. It's not like I had any choice about living among humans."

She blinked a bit at the bitterness in his tone. _Jano was right_, she thought, feeling a bit sad. _He truly despises us. And I have no one to blame for that but his own brother_. Certainly, Sesshomaru-sama was a stern lord, very prickly about such things as youkai honor and dignity, but nothing really could excuse the way he'd treated his younger brother.

"I apologize, hanyou-sama," she said at last, getting a startled look out of the young man. "I should have realized that you would take offense to my entering without your permission."

"S'okay," he muttered. Maybe he shouldn't have acted like she was one of Naraku's incarnations charging in here to eat him. She was just doing what she thought was her duty, treating him with more kindness than he probably deserved, and also trying to spare him from his own stupidity with her advice. Makiko wasn't Sesshomaru, she wasn't his enemy either and he could suddenly see himself from her perspective and it embarrassed him more than her walking in on his naked butt.

Makiko smiled a little at his softened tone and held up his clothes. "I'm still taking these. You might think you're impressive because you whipped the snot out of Yasuke, but let me tell you, I'm not that easy to intimidate."

He grinned at that, boyishly almost, damp hair falling in his eyes. "Take 'em. They're dirty as hell. As long as I get them back, I'm not going to throw any fits about wearing something else."

She nodded briskly and left him to get dressed in private. "If you need assistance, just call out. I have half dozen young ladies wanting to help you. At least let them brush out your hair or something, I can't deal with the disappointment."

He flushed again. Damn woman always had to get the last word. She was almost as bad as Kagome.

Almost.

oOo

Makiko smiled to herself as she left the hanyou alone, handing over her burden of dirty firerat fur to a reverent maid. Such a temper, she was quite glad that Sesshomaru-sama never took on like that. If nothing else, she could count on her lord to always be cool and calm, logical, even about the most trying or exacerbating affairs. It was good to have some sense of continuity when the world kept trying to tilt.

The sound of desperately running feet caught her attention as soon as she stepped back out into the passage. A young boy ran right up to her, bending over and panting like he'd already run over half the fortress in search of her. "Yuki, what is it?"

He gasped, trying to get enough air in his lungs to speak. "Makiko, you have to come. Hisuni-sama. Got angry. Hit Kohaku. Sango-sama attacked him. He struck her. I think Sesshomaru-sama is going to kill him!"

Makiko felt the blood rush out of her face and followed Yuki's example by breaking into a run of her own. So much for calm, cool, logical demon lords.

Hisuni was a fool!

oOo

Jano was pissed. Actually, he'd passed pissed several hours before and was now approaching fury. "All you idiots had to do," he said grimly. "All you had to do was keep an eye on them. How did you let this happen?"

Shiou looked sheepish, Haru just looked scared. "Sorry, Jano-san," Shiou said at last, looking anywhere but at the bodyguard. "She slipped away in the crowd, we were watching the monk."

"Oh," Jano sneered. "And what was the monk doing that you found so endlessly fascinating?"

The guards grinned at each other. "You know that new girl who just started in the kitchens? The one with the pretty red hair?"

Jano sighed, rubbing his face. Fools surrounded him, and not all of them were sitting in front of him. "I gather she slapped him."

Shiou sniggered, elbowing Haru in the ribs and getting a queasy smile in return. "I'll say she did. Flattened him, I thought she might have fractured the poor lad. He's a tough one for a human, got right up like it didn't even hurt!"

"I'm glad you're impressed," Jano said dryly. "I hope it was worth it, after all, your lack of attention has resulted in your lord having to discipline a fellow clanlord. You think this isn't going to have ramifications in the court? I know Hisuni is far from popular..."

"And a bloody idiot," Haru muttered.

Jano glared at him. "What happened was exactly what I wanted you to prevent," he shouted at last, getting wide-eyed stares from both his men. Jano paced back and forth, tugging on the back of his hair, something he only did when extremely agitated. Humans, it seemed he couldn't keep them out of trouble.

This was as much his fault as Shiou or Haru's. He had maneuvered Yasuke into a challenge he couldn't win, causing Hisuni to be so humiliated by his son's defeat that he quite completely lost his good senses. Well, there wasn't much he could do about it now. He should have expected some kind of reaction out of the proud clanlord. You didn't step on his dignity without expecting an inuyoukai lord to take offense.

Seriously though, he'd thought any retaliation would have been leveled at Inuyasha. Not Kagome, not Kohaku. And sure as fuck not Sango!

oOo

Hisuni had frozen when he'd heard the deadly tone of Sesshomaru's voice. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled the rumors that had been circulating through the fortress. He had paid them no mind, finding them vulgar and disturbing. They said that for some reason Sesshomaru-sama favored a certain female, a human female.

_How revolting_, he'd thought.

Now he stared into the icy countenance of an extremely angry daiyoukai and wondered if he'd live to regret his mistakes. He managed to hold his ground as Sesshomaru approached, slow and deliberate as death itself, without the merciful ease of passing that death could bring. Still, he was lord of his clan, hardly expendable, especially not over the trifling matter of a mere human plaything.

"My lord," he said evenly, wondering what Sesshomaru would say now that the entire fortress was watching them.

Sesshomaru's face never changed expression. Swift as lightning, his hand had raised and struck Hisuni a vicious blow. The clanlord's head rocked backward from the force and his ears rang. Purely by will, he held himself on his feet, not raising his eyes above the toes of his lord.

"Explain yourself, Hisuni," the soft cold voice hissed.

Explain himself? And where did he start? Did he explain to the dark and chill inuyoukai that his temper had no other outlet than to strike human women?

Hisuni flushed, swallowed hard and slowly bent himself in a bow. "I apologize, my lord. My temper is off from the events of the evening. I was insulted and moved without thinking."

"I understand your pride is injured, Hisuni-sama," Sesshomaru murmured, no trace of anger or emotion in his voice. "One does understand how my brother can move even a civilized creature to the brink of irrationality."

Was it even remotely possible that Sesshomaru was going to be lenient? Hisuni glanced up in spite of himself, hoping for a sign how truly angered his lord might be. It was a mistake. As soon as he raised his chin far enough to meet Sesshomaru's eyes, a cold hand grasped his neck. Hisuni winced, feeling sharp claws prick his skin. A slow burning sensation started where the tips of those razor sharp points broke his skin.

"However, understanding as I might be of your feelings," Sesshomaru whispered, a hint of fury starting to touch his voice. "I would indeed hardly be able to call myself an inuyoukai if I allowed you to assault my mate and live."

Mate? Kagome jerked in surprise, still cradling the injured Kohaku against her chest. The girl's head twisted to look at Sango, her lips opening soundlessly as she mouthed the word to her friend. Mate?

Sango sat perfectly still, kneeling next to Kagome with her hands clasped primly in her lap as if the proceedings were a mild form of entertainment. Inside her head, the words were echoing around in her mind like waves crashing upon a soundless beach. They washed over her, filling her body with a gentle thrill and unexpected joy.

Hisuni's feelings at hearing those words couldn't have been more to the opposite, his chest contracted in dread as the poison seeped deeper into his tissues. A thin mist of green was enveloping his face, eating at the smooth skin of his cheeks and his eyes began to burn.

"My lord," Hisuni gasped, twitching. It was far too late to fight; he should have run when he first saw his lord approach. Only it was already too late even then.

Sesshomaru allowed himself a cool smile of pleasure at Hisuni's pain. The poison could work quickly or slow; it depended entirely upon his mood. And his mood dictated that Hisuni should suffer extensively. He wouldn't waste his time beating the man; he had no need to prove his superiority in such a way.

A physical conflict would imply that Hisuni stood a chance and that would be an error. His own people knew him better than that. No, he would stand here until the clanlord's flesh dissolved, spilt from his bones like rendered wax or tallow. Hisuni's screams would grace this courtyard as nothing such had done since his father's day, his grandfather's day even.

"My lord?" A voice soft and sweet distracted Sesshomaru from his torture of Hisuni. Sango had stood and moved closer to him, her eyes cast low as she approached, her fingers reaching out to barely touch his sleeve.

She didn't know why she felt moved to do this; something tickled at the back of her mind. Her father's voice, stern and yet warm as he instructed herself and the others in the nature of youkai. _They love nothing more than causing pain. Slow torture of an enemy is preferable under almost any circumstances. You can't expect them to pity. You can't expect anything other than the cruelty of a monster_.

"I must apologize, my lord. I attacked Hisuni-sama and he was justified in striking back."

Sesshomaru honestly didn't understand why she'd said it. He'd seen the entire thing, watched Hisuni dangle Kohaku like a rag from his claws, and seen Sango's heartbreaking fury as she tried to defend her brother. He had respect for her abilities, he knew she was an exterminator, and under other circumstances he wouldn't have minded letting her take on a proud youkai like Hisuni for no other reason than the pure pleasure of watching her graceful skill.

However, this was his domain, his people, and if anyone thought to dare strike his mate, he would answer to no one but the lord of the West and pay for his action with his pain and his life.

Hisuni whimpered, going blind now, his eyes had stopped burning to become numb. The scorched smell of sulfur filled his mouth and nose, choking him. He knew because he had seen Sesshomaru's fury before that this could go on for hours. The corrosive nature of Sesshomaru's poison youki would eventually leave him nothing more than a wet mess to be cleaned away by the household staff.

Sango's hand brushed Sesshomaru once again. He didn't react, focused on his victim. It would not do to be merciful now, it would not be right, it would not be proper. Couldn't she understand that much? Her hand wandered over his arm, trembling slightly at feeling the pure demon aura he was putting out. He wouldn't have expected her to touch him like that, a human would be terrified of what she felt, horrified maybe even.

He did not want her touching him now.

Her head leaned slowly against his back, feeling the taut, rigid muscles contract, the power within that set them apart. "Please," she whispered. She would do anything to not see this, couldn't bear to see her gentle lover revealed as a cold and murderous monster. She knew what he really was, in her heart she'd never denied it.

_Oh please_, she thought, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. _Understand me, Sesshomaru. Hear what I'm asking because it's not for Hisuni. It's for me_.

Something inside him moved, a blossoming of understanding. It made no sense to a demon psyche, but he was starting to understand her a little more all the time. His father had once asked him something like this, laid a choice before him. Mercy or the drawn blade. Vengeance, justified or not. Compassion, laid aside or not.

_It's easy to be merciful when mercy is deserved. Much more difficult when it's not_. His father said this and he'd thought he'd understood it then.

So be it. He was not moved by mercy, he rather enjoyed the idea of twisting a bit more agony out of Hisuni. Such a proud fool.

However, his mate did not wish to see this and his mate's wishes had become imperative to him. Sesshomaru slowly retracted his youki, letting the fire wash back into him. His hand opened and Hisuni fell limply to his knees. The clanlord's throat and face were a mess, blood oozing from the many ruptures the poison had inflicted. His eyes wept red tears and Sesshomaru was hardly able to contain the contempt he was feeling when he looked down at Hisuni's ravaged face.

"You will apologize to her," he ordered coldly. There, he'd given Hisuni a chance to claim back his life. He would apologize to the woman he'd struck, the one who'd asked for his mercy and spared a demon's life.

"I apologize, mistress," Hisuni whispered. His voice was gone rough with the effects of Sesshomaru's poison, but he would live. His body would heal and he'd carry the scars to remind him of his lord's anger, but he'd live.

Sesshomaru said nothing, simply turned and walked away, heading back to his study. He'd only spared his attention to the earlier event in the courtyard out of a sense of curiosity and slight worry that his brother really was about to embarrass the bloodline. Either by losing or winning, he couldn't predict Inuyasha.

It struck him suddenly as he slowly walked up the wide stone staircase. His brother had also been in the grip of anger, justified as his own, and been turned aside by a plea for mercy.

_How laughable_, the irony twisted his smile. He was sure his father would have been amused at the sight of them.

Sango breathed in a deep sigh of relief when Sesshomaru...her mate...chose to leave Hisuni bleeding and damaged rather than a sticky corpse. He did it for her and her alone, she was absolutely sure. In spite of the bizarre events, she thought suddenly that she had never been so sure about anyone or anything in her entire life. He was not a monster, he was youkai and that difference meant everything.

oOo

Makiko leaned forward, carefully examining Kohaku's eyes. Satisfied, she dabbed a bit of healing salve on the boy's cut lip and smiled at Sango. "He's fine, I don't think Hisuni hurt him, just bounced him against the wall more than anything."

Sango was relieved. Seeing her brother dangled like that, his face turning red from the pressure on his throat, had truly terrified her. She didn't think she could find the words to express her gratitude that he was going to be fine. Luckily, Makiko didn't seem to need words and just patted her on the arm as she left the room.

"He can stay here in the infirmary tonight if you like. That way there'll be someone checking in on him, but I think he's just a little shaken."

"Thank you," Sango murmured, settling herself on the edge of Kohaku's bed. She fixed her brother with a stern look. "You have any idea how lucky you are? He could have really hurt you, Kohaku."

The boy smiled, a twinkle in his eye despite his injury. "I know, but I wasn't going to let him hurt Kagome."

"Chivalry is not dead," Kagome grinned, having accompanied the siblings to the infirmary. She was still shocked that Sesshomaru had openly called Sango his mate. She knew that her friend was head over heels in love with Inuyasha's older brother, but she hadn't any idea that Sesshomaru felt anything similar. In fact, she'd been dreading the day that it was made clear he didn't care at all for her, realizing that it would devastate Sango.

Sango chuckled at Kagome's comment and grabbed her friend by the arm. "Let's let him get some rest. I'm starving and there's supposed to be a feast going on."

oOo

Miroku leaned on his elbow, watching youkai moving around him and completely ignoring his presence. It didn't offend him; it gave him a chance to look around while he processed the interesting events of the evening. So far, it seemed to be the sons of Inutaisho in the lead, hapless challenger youkai nothing. He tapped his fingers restlessly as he sat, noting that the softly murmuring crowds of inuyoukai seemed neither upset nor surprised by the near death experience of one of their own.

Makiko had shown up to take control of the situation with an air of calm efficiency. She directed Hisuni's companions to remove him immediately, indicating that she had no patience left for him in bleeding all over the clean courtyard. Then she'd fussed over Kohaku, ignoring the boy's protests that he was fine so she could whisk him off to the infirmary, Sango and Kagome following anxiously behind.

That left a monk to his own devices. A few moments earlier Jano had shown up to drag away the friendly guards, Shiou and Haru, with a thinly veiled anger. Miroku wasn't quite sure what had put the tall bodyguard out of sorts, but he managed to gather that the guards were there to prevent what had happened.

Amused, Miroku was content to watch as servants began setting up for a feast. He'd asked around, finding out that the full moon was usually a time for the fortress' population to relax and gather. There might be some music later and he had to confess he was a little curious about how dog demons entertained themselves when they weren't trying to kill each other.

He rubbed his cheek absently. The young lady had definitely told him how he, a human, was not supposed to entertain himself. Well, that couldn't be helped, even if he'd found a lady who was agreeable to experiment with a non-demon lover, he had a feeling that the unpleasant scene had reinforced their opinions regarding leaving humans strictly alone.

In any case, Miroku was getting hungry. He decided to wander over to where young demons were starting to set up tables and bringing tasty smelling concoctions out for the hungry masses.

A heavy hand dropped onto his shoulder and startled him; Miroku actually brought his staff up in self-defense when he was roughly turned around to face another demon. He blinked in surprise. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, it's me. Or what's left of me in any case." The hanyou was dressed elegantly for the first time he'd ever seen him.

Miroku whistled softly and did a slow circle of his friend, grinning at the uncomfortable and annoyed expression. Gone was the familiar firerat haori, replaced by delicate silks. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as the monk surveyed him. It wasn't his fault, he'd thought Makiko would have left him something sensible to wear, not this...this...

Words failed him. The flowing silk was a deep, shimmering green, it seemed to move like water over Inuyasha's shoulders, glinting with golden silk threads that had been woven into the fine texture. Miroku reflected that Inuyasha couldn't possibly be happy about the fact he was now dressed every bit as regally as his brother. He made a mental note not to mention that fact. The hanyou scowled ferociously as if he could tell what Miroku wasn't going to say.

"Don't start," he muttered.

"I didn't say a word," Miroku murmured. Expert hands had also cared for Inuyasha's hair. It washed over the fine silk in a shimmering smooth mass of silver-white, no longer looking like it had been dragged backwards through the underbrush, matted and tangled from years of neglect.

Gone was the ruffian, the wild forest dweller, and in his place was a young lord of his people. He wondered at the fortitude of the demon females who had been assigned the task of straightening out the hanyou.

And he could tell that Inuyasha just hated every minute of it. He frankly looked offended to be there at all and ready to start a fight. Figuring it would be a good idea to not comment further on the subject, Miroku nudged the hanyou toward the food. "Hungry? I would think you would be after that fight."

Speaking of the challenge and the resulting ass kicking he'd delivered seemed to perk Inuyasha up. "Fuck yeah, I'm starving. Where's Kagome at anyway?"

It was always his first question whenever they'd been separated, even for as brief a time as only an hour. Miroku shook his head in amusement, grinning at the unconscious connection that had been forged between the two.

Miroku had to grin as Inuyasha charged for the tables, growling as inuyoukai shot out his way. At least this meant he wouldn't have to wait in line, the monk decided smugly. People cleared out of the way as Inuyasha approached, grabbing up his dinner with a noticeable lack of good manners.

Miroku nibbled with more restraint. "So what did you think about what your brother did?"

Inuyasha grunted. "Sesshomaru? What did he pull this time? Give that pup hell because he didn't beat my ass to his satisfaction?"

Of course, he didn't know. Miroku smiled nastily as he related the conflict that had taken place, detailing how the hanyou's brother had been preparing to torture Hisuni to death and been stopped by a soft plea from Sango.

Startled, Inuyasha took a moment to think that over, chewing slowly as they made their way over to a corner. "He said that? He really called her mate in front of everyone?"

Nodding, the monk reached over to snag a piece of meat from a table as they passed. The courtyard was starting to fill up and he could hear the sound of a few soft instruments from somewhere. "Yes, that's exactly what he did. I think Sango was as surprised as the rest of us. She looked so shocked that she even seemed to forget about Kohaku."

"Huh." That seemed to be the only reaction he was going to get out of the half-demon.

Miroku was disappointed. "Come on," he joked. "You can't tell me you aren't a little surprised by it."

Inuyasha snorted. "That Sesshomaru would try to torture some asshole to death? Doesn't surprise me a bit."

Annoyed, Miroku bopped the half-demon on the back of the head. "No, that he called Sango mate. Doesn't that surprise you at all?"

Inuyasha scratched at his hair. It smelled way too pretty now, made him uncomfortable and his nose was starting to itch. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised," he mused. "He's been acting weirder than usual ever since they started getting it on. What the hell she sees in him is what I don't get, him being such an icy bastard all the time. Guess there must be something more to it than just screwing."

_Crude, but accurate_, Miroku thought wryly. "I've been wondering about that," he murmured. "I thought that she might be taking their affair more seriously than he did, but today's events make me think otherwise."

"None of our fucking business anyway," Inuyasha grunted. Miroku raised an eyebrow at him and he flushed. "That's really all you ever think about, isn't it?" he accused.

"I am a normal, healthy male," Miroku retorted. "How about yourself?"

Oh, they weren't going to have this conversation. "There's nothing wrong with me," he said, growling softly. "Just because I don't go around trying to jump on every female I meet doesn't mean I don't got the same urges."

Miroku glared at him. "Really, haven't seen much evidence of it. I know something happened between you and Kagome. She turned you down or something?"

"You wish," the hanyou muttered, looking away. He didn't want to talk about it; it was none of Miroku's business. Damn pervert couldn't get anyone to agree to his own advances, now he was too busy worrying about everyone else.

Still, he felt compelled to put Miroku's concerns to rest, if only for the sake of manly pride. "Believe me, she didn't turn me down."

"And why would she?" a soft voice murmured behind them. Inuyasha and Miroku turned around to see an extremely attractive woman advancing on them. Inuyasha's ears perked up in spite of himself, reacting to the pure femininity the youkai was giving off. She stopped, never taking her eyes from his, and slowly extended her hand.

"You are Inuyasha-sama, are you not?"

"Yeah," he muttered, wondering just what the hell she wanted. The smell of her seemed oddly familiar and alluring. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You want something, bitch?"

Her smile widened for some reason and he almost stepped back. "My name is Hiromi," she murmured, a soft smile on her lips and a definite twinkle in her eyes.

"And I am Miroku," the monk interjected, smiling his most winning expression at the beautiful youkai woman. "It is indeed a pleasure to meet you..."

Ah, she didn't even know he was there. The female was too busy devouring the hanyou with her eyes. _It figures_, he thought sourly. He might as well just head back to his room and try to sleep. He had no interest in watching Inuyasha turn down gorgeous demon ladies while he sat to the side, forgotten like some old uncle.

"Um, please excuse me," he muttered.

Inuyasha barely noticed that the monk was leaving as the female had moved closer, one shapely clawed finger trailing over his shoulder. Hiromi licked her lips, smiling slightly at the half-demon's almost defensive stance.

Oh he was going to be fun, she could tell already.

"I watched your fight with Yasuke, hanyou-sama," she murmured. "You have my compliments for your prowess in battle."

"Punk had it coming," he answered, moving a few inches away from her. Didn't like strange youkai touching him, not even if they were trying to pretend to be friendly. Hiromi followed him, her eyes flicking restlessly over his body. What the hell did she want anyway, come to stare at the half-demon? Didn't get a good enough look when he smacked around Yasuke?

Hiromi watched the young hanyou dance away from her, withdrawing with suspicious confusion in his golden eyes. So he was shy, that amused her. Demurely, she dropped her eyes, stroking back her silky hair as she turned her face away from him. "Do I offend you, hanyou-sama?"

"Wha...why would you ask that?"

She had his attention now, puzzlement in those stunning eyes, and curiosity in the lines of that beautiful face. Hiromi suddenly moved closer, pressing her body into his in a way that he couldn't help but understand.

"You keep pulling away the closer I get," she murmured.

Inuyasha didn't have an answer for that, he was too busy worrying about the way his blood was pulsing in his veins. Her scent, he knew it was her scent, warm and rich, delicious. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. It was the scent of a mature, willing inuyoukai female and he could feel his body recognizing something he didn't even know he'd been craving.

"Why don't we go somewhere else?" Hiromi's breath tickled in his ear. "I would like to speak with you some more."

Roughly, he pushed her away. "What makes you think I want to talk to you, bitch?" he growled. She was trying to lure him into a trap, he just knew it. No way some full blood bitch was going to make him her fool.

Hiromi's eyes widened, but she wasn't about to give up just yet. Slowly, so he wouldn't see her as a threat, she reached out to touch his arm. Inuyasha's eyes had narrowed, but he allowed her to lift his hand. Her breath whispered across his palm and he almost hissed when the tip of her tongue touched him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, wondering why she was putting on such an act. Did she think she was fooling him, did she think she was fooling anyone?

"I am trying to put you at ease, hanyou-sama. You don't trust me and there's no reason you should, not knowing me. What are you so afraid of?"

Inuyasha scowled. "I'm not afraid of anything, not you, not any damn demon in this fortress." He stared as she continued to fondle his hand, he really should have yanked it back by now, shouldn't he? Instead, he watched as she took his finger and ran it over her lips.

"If you're not afraid of me," she whispered against his claws, "then why do you resist my overtures? Can't you tell that I want you, Inuyasha-sama?"

His mouth dropped open, suddenly getting the picture, realizing from her scent and her actions there really wasn't any deception. Damn, she was wearing her intentions right out in the open. Miroku was right, he was pretty damned dense.

Focused on fighting everything, he'd never considered that inuyoukai women might find him in the least bit interesting. Suddenly her movements made sense and he almost blushed when he realized the girls from before had been acting exactly the same way.

"Don't you know I'm a half-breed?" he demanded angrily. "I'm half human. Don't tell me that doesn't turn your stomach. I know exactly what pure youkai think of me!"

Hiromi grinned, not entirely surprised. Most demons hated hanyou, seeing them as inferior and most of the time they were right. Most hanyou in question didn't carry daiyoukai blood or be the son of one of the most powerful Daimyo to ever rule over the West. He had no clue that his bloodline made all the difference, having dealt only with lower, common monsters and oni.

"Let me tell you something about myself," Hiromi said smoothly. Her fingers continued to stroke his and supposed it was already a victory of sorts that he hadn't pulled away. That meant he was reacting to her, she was halfway to her goal. Now if she could just get him to someplace more private, Hiromi would wager much of that suspicion and reserve would melt away in a flame of waking passion.

"My clan is quite ancient, we've been a dominant force in the West for generations. My father fought in battles with yours, my uncle is currently lord of my clan. No one would question either the purity or the nobility of my bloodline. That whelp Yasuke could only wish to have a lineage as distinguished. Undoubtedly, that's why he was rash enough to challenge you. He wished to advance his clan."

"Huh?" The hanyou was delightfully innocent of court maneuverings. "I thought he was just an asshole."

Hiromi had to laugh at that, he was certainly colorful. She wondered if he'd be so inventive in bed. She was counting on it, in any case. She brought his hand up to cup her cheek, slowly sliding his palm down the side of her neck until he was clasping her throat.

He couldn't possibly miss the intimacy of the gesture, even if he was unschooled in the arts of courtship. Placing his hand such was a tacit way of signaling her complete submission. It would be an intoxicating arousal in an inuyoukai male. Still, she managed to keep her tone light and unconcerned.

"If Yasuke had managed to best you in combat, dear Inuyasha, it would have been a social coup. His father's peers would have had to reexamine his place in court hierarchy. Even by accepting his challenge you managed to enhance his standing."

"What makes you think I give a fuck about that?" he growled, his eyes flashing. "I don't care about your stupid politics or what you damn dogs think about me. He pissed me off, he got what he deserved, end of story. Get it, bitch? I don't care what you people think about anything."

"What do you care about then?" she said, her hand holding his wrist firm. She wouldn't let him pull away. He was stronger than her, but he'd have to get rough with her if he wanted her to let go. She used it as an excuse to pull closer, dropping his hand to her breast.

He couldn't deny she was starting to affect him, but he wasn't going to let her think she was scaring him by putting his hand on her body like that. He contracted his fingers, digging the tips of his claws into her soft, delicate clothing until he felt the sharp points break the skin.

Her breathing sped up and Hiromi met his eyes, half aroused and half fearful. This hanyou had a reputation for being unpredictable and for a moment Hiromi considered that he might lash out at her.

Inuyasha saw nervousness lingering in her eyes and grinned, his fangs glinting. "I care about killing my enemies, bitch. Right now I'm trying to decide if you're one of them. "

Hiromi didn't hesitate; she threw herself at him in a calculated move. He'd expected her to cringe away, but his words only encouraged her. Show him she was not an enemy, she could certainly do that. Her arms went around his shoulders before he could back away, her fists found themselves buried in his hair so he couldn't fling her aside when her mouth went after his.

His lips parted automatically under hers and Inuyasha couldn't stop her tongue from plundering his with an almost burning intensity. Inuyasha twisted his face away from hers, shocked at the woman's bold attack.

"Crazy bitch!"

She wasn't going to let go that easily, bearing him backwards until his shoulders hit the cool stone of the wall behind him. He was breathing hard, couldn't quite deny that it was a turn on to be jumped like that. He might not like the bitch, but her body was soft against his, the low growling in her throat definitely getting his attention in more ways than one.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded.

"That, Inuyasha-sama, was an appetizer. I believe I'm ready for the full course now." Hiromi snatched his hand in hers and half dragged the hanyou out of the courtyard, disappearing down a dark passageway with a laugh.


	20. Twenty

_**Chapter Twenty**_

Kagome stood frozen, watching as the youkai woman grabbed hold of Inuyasha and dragged him away. She'd kissed him! That woman had kissed him!

She flushed when she realized how angry she was and closed her eyes, counting slowly so she wouldn't do something stupid and make an idiot of herself. Beside her, Sango and Shippou were silent, afraid to break the uncomfortable tension.

Her face was burning and Kagome felt a hot tear slip down her cheek.

"Um, Kagome?" Shippou asked hesitantly. He wanted to comfort her; she was the one who'd always comforted him. Soothed away the nightmares of Hiten and Manten, cuddled him so close at night that he forgot to be lonely for his parents. The kitsune boy honestly didn't know what he'd do if she ever left.

One thing was for sure. If Kagome ever did leave them for good, it would be that stupid dog's fault!

Her hand brushed his hair. "It's okay, Shippou," she said faintly. There was something she could do, something that didn't involve running down there like a stupid schoolgirl and making a nasty scene. Inuyasha would get the point and she was well within range of his hearing.

All she had to do was yell it out and he'd hear her, even from this distance. And whatever he thought he was doing with that youkai woman would fall apart. Yes, that was the best way. She opened her mouth and readied herself to shout out the incantation that would let a certain hanyou know she was watching.

"He'd never forgive you."

Both human women jumped and turned to stare at the demon that had come up behind them so quietly. They'd completely missed his presence. Kagome glared at him, swallowing her nervousness. "Excuse me?"

He drifted closer, his strange gray eyes slightly unfocused as if he was looking right through her body. "I said, he'd never forgive you. That incantation you were about to use, priestess. The hanyou would not forgive you for it, not right now."

Sango slowly stood up, wondering when she'd got in the habit of not wearing a weapon as the strange youkai regarded her with a mild, distracted gaze. "How do you know about it?" she asked, her fingers itching for Hiraikotsu. Surely, not after what had happened with Hisuni, no one in this fortress would be foolish enough to threaten them.

Barou smiled to himself. Sesshomaru's mate was very interesting. He'd had every intention of leaving the fortress before the challenge began, but he found he couldn't help that the curiosity running in people's minds piqued his interest. He met the woman's firm eyes and found to his surprise, he approved of her.

Most humans had undisciplined minds, running from petty thought to petty thought, animalistic desires, rarely contemplating the consequences of their actions. Barou was indifferent to them for the most part, finding them dull with no youki, no spark to catch his interest. Silly, childish, bestial and crude, they were ignorant for the most part and violent against each other.

This woman Sango was different. Not a trace of deception, everything she thought or felt was right there on the surface of her mind. This was a woman who would betray no one, not even her worst enemy. Certainly she had suffered, Barou could sense the fires that had tempered her spirit, and she wore the ashes of old pain to prove it.

It made him thoughtful, knowing that the women were waiting for him to say something. Barou rarely hurried about anything he did. The woman was both more intelligent than she gave herself credit for and completely without artifice. No wonder Sesshomaru had been intrigued; she was the opposite of every demon female his cousin had ever encountered.

Barou had a sly smile on his lips when he thought about that. Sango was certainly the opposite his sister Chinatsu. If Sesshomaru realized that, and Barou couldn't be certain, it could have only added to the attraction.

"Are you going to say anything?" the young priestess demanded.

He looked at her flushed and angry face for a moment, the girl's irritation fairly radiated off her body in waves. It wasn't directed at him, not really. And to be truthful, he probably should have minded his own business. Still, the young girl's thoughts were so strong, her will a force of its own. He couldn't help but be drawn to it.

"Excuse me for interfering," Barou finally said. "I may have spoken out of turn, but your friend would certainly be angry with you for using a spiritual incantation to discipline him when he's done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong?" the girl echoed. How could he know anything about it, how did he know what she was going to do? "Look, whoever you are, it's not your business."

"You aren't normally a vindictive person," he murmured. "Why do you want to punish the hanyou with humiliation?"

Kagome gaped at him, not believing what she was hearing. This guy didn't know her, didn't know Inuyasha, but he was standing here and talking like everything she'd ever done or thought was like an open book. "You...you..." she stammered, quite at a loss for words.

Barou regarded her thoughtfully, her thoughts rippled out in a long waves, some colored by anger and confusion, more often they were tinged with a sad longing. It wasn't like he could hear word for word what anyone thought, that wasn't how he had been made. Instead, he got flashes, sensations sometimes. It had taken him years to learn to identify what he saw, sensed, and felt.

And for years before that he'd walked in darkness, convinced of his own madness and eventual destruction. He'd been rescued and the only stipulation placed upon him was to not misuse his special talent, leaving the discretion completely in Barou's hands.

"You're jealous, you're hurt, and you're angry," he said softly, meeting the girl's eyes. They widened and the girl turned pale, the angry flush receding as she backed away from him. The demon moved closer, watching her reactions. "If you can't stand another female touching him, why don't you tell him so?"

Kagome stared at him. "Leave me alone," she whispered, starting to be really frightened. Provoked, her thoughts became clearer and Barou couldn't help himself when he pursued the subject.

"You want him for yourself, but you don't want him to think you're weak. You desire him, but you're afraid of the consequences. You're even more afraid of rejection. You want to give in, but you don't want to give up the power you have over him."

"Get away from me!" Kagome shouted, bringing her hands up in a defensive gesture. "I swear I'll purify you!"

Purify? That was interesting. For a moment, Barou wondered if he'd survive such a process. Spiritual energy radiated from the scared girl. He was no threat to her, but his words were making her hysterical. _Strange_, he thought, _how human emotion could cause a fight or flee response in their bodies_. Demons reacted to physical threats; emotional threats were nothing when compared to getting your throat torn out.

He backed off anyway. The girl had no idea how immense her aura was becoming, she didn't have to touch him to use it. "I apologize for disturbing you," he said mildly. "I truly intended no harm, priestess."

Kagome slowly lowered her hands. She was shaking and she didn't know why. He didn't know her, how dare he say such things? "You need to leave," she muttered, getting control of herself. Sango and Shippou were still watching the odd confrontation with wide eyes.

There was too much truth in what he'd said and Kagome didn't want to look at them. Barou just nodded quietly and turned away. He should have left well enough alone, he had no time to spare for confused human girls. Still, he hesitated before leaving, looking back over his shoulder and making an attempt at a reassuring smile.

"Tell him you love him. You might fear rejection, but doesn't he deserve to have the words said so he can hear them? Just because you assume he knows your feelings, doesn't mean he understands."

She looked away, rubbing her arms with her hands as if there was a sudden chill. "It's not that simple." Her anger had drained out of her quite abruptly, leaving her cold and exhausted. "If I say anything, we will just get in a fight. That's what always happens."

"Then you might as well give him up," he said simply, walking away from her. Really, he had no patience with the confused emotions of a human and it wasn't his place to sort her out. That he left for more skilled and compassionate creatures.

She stared after him, her hands clenching into fists. "I'm not going to give him up!"

He didn't answer, withdrawing into the shadows and leaving her feeling very much exposed. Sango met her gaze and moved forward, reaching to embrace her friend. Kagome's fingers dug hard into her back, as she held tight to Sango's comfort, burying her face in her friend's hair and fighting back the tears that wanted to overwhelm her.

oOo

Kagome paced around her room, chewing her fingernails and muttering. She glanced over at her bed. Shippou and Kirara had curled up together and were fast asleep. The girl snorted, wishing she were so lucky as to be able to sleep.

_Not likely_, she thought. She was way too worked up and had spent the better part of the evening telling herself that it was none of her business. Inuyasha could do whatever the hell he wanted and she had every intention of telling him just that.

If she'd been able to find him. After the mysterious youkai who seemed know what she was thinking had left, Kagome had gone in search of her hanyou friend. Half of her was worried when she couldn't find him, but the other half was seething with fury. Sango had given her a few meaningful looks, even opened her mouth a couple times to say something, and then shut it again with a shake of her head.

How dare he let that woman kiss him like that? Kagome's fingers clenched into fists and she seriously considered taking out her anger on a few of the elegant furnishings. Then she talked herself out of it, she'd never been the type of girl who'd vent her temper on someone else's property. She'd always thought of herself as a reasonable person, even-tempered and cheerful under most circumstances.

She was not vindictive!

Or was she? Kagome blushed a bit; glad no one was around to see her embarrassment. There had been a few times she'd used the incantation when he'd made her angry. What else did she have?

It wasn't like she could beat up Inuyasha. Kaede had put that rosary around his neck for a very good reason. He was violent, unpredictable; he took everything as a threat, even something as simple as Kouga touching her hand. He overreacted to everything. How many times did she have to tell him to reign in his temper? And when he wouldn't do it, that's when he'd get sat.

She nodded sharply, still pacing, unconsciously twisting her hands together as if there was an inuyoukai female's neck between them. So it bothered her to see that woman kiss him, big deal. It was a natural reaction after all, she was protective of him.

Of course, that was it. She just didn't want to see some woman take advantage of him. It wasn't like it was Kikyou that he was kissing, it had probably meant nothing. He couldn't be in love with a total stranger, it was probably meant in a...friendly way.

_Even I don't believe that_, she thought to herself. It was nothing more than ugly jealousy that was in her heart. That and a tight, hurt feeling that he hadn't shoved the woman away, that instead he'd let her just drag him out of the courtyard, obvious to everyone what they were intending to do.

_Face it, girl_, Kagome told herself miserably. _Whatever he can get from her is something he doesn't want from you_.

A few hot moments on the forest floor didn't mean all that much after all. He was half youkai, he had to have needs. And he'd made it plain to her that she wasn't going to be the one to answer those needs. If it wasn't his leftover feelings for Kikyou that stopped him, as it hadn't stopped that woman, maybe it was just that he didn't want her like that.

_Too bad for me_. She wanted him that way and she would have done a lot to inspire any kind of tenderness in Inuyasha's heart. Maybe that demon was right, she was jealous and vindictive and she wanted to punish Inuyasha, humiliate him for not wanting her.

That was petty, the girl decided, sinking down to sit at the end of her bed. And so were all those times she'd sat him right into the ground for saying or doing what was probably quite justified in youkai terms. She sat for a moment, remembering how angry he would be when she used the incantation, how furious he'd look at her after she did it.

She wanted to hide her head under the blankets when she thought about how her face must have looked to him afterwards. Pleased, triumphant...like he was just a dog to her, something she could order around to do her bidding. No wonder he didn't seem to want anything more from her, hard to have a relationship with someone who could drop you with one angry word.

Kagome sighed as she rubbed her face with her hands and thought maybe that what kept them apart. All this time she'd spent blaming Kikyou for Inuyasha's heart being torn, but Kikyou had never abused him like that. Oh sure, there was the whole being sealed to a tree thing, but Inuyasha forgave that. It wasn't Kikyou's fault they'd been fooled into betraying each other.

She couldn't even blame Naraku for what she'd done. Kaede had given him that rosary to keep him from hurting her. And she'd used it over and over again in spite of the fact that she knew right down to her soul that he'd never harm a hair on her head.

Instead, he was downright furious when she'd risk her own neck or if anyone so much as threatened her. He'd go wild to protect her, avenge her, do whatever he had to do to keep her alive so she could go back home to her world and pretend this part of her life didn't exist.

_But I love him_, she thought wistfully, a hot little tear sneaking out of her eye. _He has to know I love him even if I haven't said it. I was too scared to say it. How could he just go off with some stranger when he knows that I would do anything just to be with him?_

Maybe he thought she was playing with him, amusing herself until the shards were all collected, evil defeated. Then she'd go back down that well to her life of studies, friends, and maybe even boyfriends and forget all about him. He always was jealous that she had a life away from his.

_No, he can't think that_, she grimaced, getting back up to resume her pace around the room. _He knows I care about him, why else would I put up with his bad attitude and his temper?_

If that wasn't showing her love, she'd like to know what was.

That strange demon had made her feel ashamed of herself by saying that she wanted Inuyasha, but she didn't want to give up her power over him. Kagome had never before considered such a thing, thinking her actions had always been quite justified.

From her perspective, maybe they were, but to Inuyasha... He probably did think she was a vindictive bitch and he'd even said it more than once.

_I owe him a big apology_, she thought, feeling small and mean. _I should tell him I'm not going to do it anymore. Maybe he'll forgive me if I keep my word about that. I'll tell him I understand if he feels more comfortable with a youkai woman rather than with me. If there was ever going to be something more than friendship between us, it would have already happened, right? Nothing to be embarrassed about, he'll probably be relieved to know I'm off his case for good_.

She quickly changed out of her sleeping clothes back into her school uniform. Pretty kimonos were very nice, but this felt like she was back in her own skin. And she wanted to be herself for this; it wouldn't do her any good to pretend at something she wasn't ever going to be. Nodding firmly to herself, she planted a quick kiss on Shippou's forehead before she slipped out the door.

The hallway was deserted. Sensible dog demons needed their rest as much as agitated humans. She felt better about it now that she had a course of action. _It's not giving up_, she told herself. _It's just backing off for now. He's got a lot of things going on in his head and Inuyasha isn't much of a thinker. _

_Poor guy, he probably feels pretty weird right now, stuck in his brother's home, dealing with his own people for the first time. He doesn't need me jumping all over him for just doing what it's in his nature to do_.

Kagome followed the passage to the end and turned the corner. She had a pretty good idea where his room was and counted doors to make sure she didn't get herself lost again. It was silly, she was barely able to find her own way around this place, but she'd made sure from the first day she knew where to find Inuyasha's room.

_What does that say about you_, she asked herself with a hidden smile, _that you have to keep track of him even when you already know he can take care of himself?_ She didn't know where Sango's room was and she didn't know where Miroku was, but she made sure to find out where Inuyasha was sleeping.

As she drew closer to his door, she felt her resolve, and her knees, start to weaken. _Really Kagome_, she thought, _he's probably asleep. There wasn't any reason this couldn't wait until morning. You're just going to apologize anyway; you know he'll look at you like you're crazy. Just go knock already!_

What...what if he's not alone? Kagome froze, fist raised before she could use it and slowly she slunk back. "I hadn't thought about that," she murmured.

What if that youkai woman was inside with him? It made sense. She hadn't been able to find them earlier and this was the one place she hadn't thought to check. "Oh, you are such an idiot," she muttered, smacking herself in the forehead. "They're probably in there right now, either sleeping or…maybe not."

_I should just turn around and go back to my room like a good girl_, she thought miserably. _I don't want to bother him, especially if_...

Feeling the tears ready to start again, she turned away, her head sagging as she ran her hand along the wall to guide herself. "I'm an idiot," she said, wanting to throw herself down and cry.

Where was all that resolve she'd talked herself into, where was all the righteous anger gone? It wasn't fair, she felt worse now than she had when she'd been angry with him. Now she just ached, plain and simple, and nothing she could do or say was going to take that away.

"Kagome?"

She started badly and turned around, wiping her nose on her sleeve. It was just Jano, she discovered, frowning at her as she managed to not meet his eyes.

"What are you doing? You really shouldn't wander around at night, you could get lost again."

"I'm not lost," she muttered, digging at the stone floor with her shoe and feeling every inch the naughty schoolgirl caught misbehaving. "I just wanted to talk to Inuyasha."

Jano raised his eyebrows. "Then you're going the wrong way, his room is back there." Something was up, he'd bet on it. The girl stood not looking at him as her shoulders slumped dismally.

"I know," she answered in a toneless voice. "I just changed my mind about it. It can wait until morning."

Confusing, he supposed, but even human females could change their minds like demon ones. "Let me walk you back to your room," he said finally, still a bit puzzled by her downtrodden air. Usually she was quite feisty.

He rather liked that about her, Kagome had a personality that put everyone around her at ease and he'd seen the way some of the demon younglings had reacted to her bright and happy smile. Considering that she was human and an outsider because of it, he had been surprised that she and the kitsune had charmed even the fortress' children.

Kagome let the inuyoukai take her arm as they walked along. It was nothing more than politeness on his part, she understood. Part of his duty to make sure that his guest didn't get herself lost and make him have to discipline another of his men. Maybe he just didn't trust her to find her way back to her room.

He had probably heard about Inuyasha and the woman who'd dragged him off. It might even be that he was steering her away from the hanyou because of it. Kagome flushed, hoping that wasn't the case, she was humiliated enough for one day and couldn't help herself when she choked back a sob.

Jano peered down at her, seeing the tears clearly. He stopped and turned the girl to face him. "Kagome, are you all right? Did someone hurt you or scare you, is that why you were looking for Inuyasha?"

"No," she said in a shaky voice, taking a deep breath to get her emotions under control. "I'm fine, Jano-san. I'm just a little upset about something right now and I'm sorry to be a bother."

Right, like he was going to believe that. Firmly, he steered her into a room, apparently another of the guard's wardrooms and sat her down at a table. "Talk," he ordered. If something was up, he needed to know about it. After what had taken place already, he didn't need another crisis regarding the humans to jump up and bite him on the ass.

Kagome glared at him, tears drying on her cheeks. "I told you, it's nothing. It's personal. I don't feel like talking about it."

He folded his arms and sighed. "Then why are you wandering the fortress and bawling your eyes out? I'm not trying to be nosy, girl. If someone has upset you I do need to know. It's my job, remember?"

Embarrassed, she leaned her elbows on the table so she could hide her face in her hands. "I told you, it's just something personal. I have to apologize to Inuyasha. I haven't been a very good friend to him. So that's why I came down here, but I realized that he's probably not alone in his room right now so it's best if I just wait."

"Not alone?" Jano scratched his head, not quite understanding why she thought he wasn't alone and then it hit him. "Oh," he said softly, sliding into a seat next to her. "You think there's another female with him."

The girl nodded miserably. Jano felt sorry for her, but he couldn't suppress the grin that was forming at the corners of his mouth. Makiko had informed him that Inuyasha had been seen in the company of Hiromi and he was well acquainted with that particular lady's appetites. He'd even been on the receiving end of them on more than one occasion. The girl was beside herself with misery and he rather thought he knew why.

"Oh, I understand," he said easily. "No reason to get so upset, Kagome. Hiromi is a very pleasant woman, I'm sure she'll take excellent care of Inuyasha."

Kagome slammed her fists down on the table, making him jump. "I don't want to hear about it," she snapped, glaring at him with tear-streaked cheeks.

He leaned his head on his fist, amused. "You object to it?" he asked in a mild voice. "Why is that?" She turned her face away from him, but he could see the flush that was nearly making her ears glow red.

"Kagome, I wasn't under the impression that you and Inuyasha were..."

"We aren't!"

Jano grinned. "Then why are you so angry with him?"

Kagome clenched her teeth. "I'm not angry with him," she ground out, her eyes flashing at the bodyguard. "It's not my business who he sleeps with!"

Oho, this was fun. He needed a little bit of stress relief himself and prodding Kagome to admit her feelings was definitely entertaining. "Really?" he said slowly. "You seem pretty angry to me. Are you sure you aren't lying to yourself?"

The girl jumped out of her seat and headed for the door. Jano went after her, taking hold of her arm as she tried to brush him aside. He managed to catch her by the wrist, holding her loosely but not letting her leave either.

"I don't know much about humans," he said quietly. "But I think that you'd feel better if you admitted to yourself how much it bothers you."

"I told you, it doesn't bother me!" she snapped. Where had all her calm resolve gotten to? When she'd decided that Inuyasha was the one who'd been wronged by her actions, she had no right to tell him what to do. She was furious with Jano for not having the decency to understand that it was a private matter and not part of his job to figure out.

"All right," he said at last, still holding fast to her wrist. "You aren't angry, you aren't bothered. You're absolutely right, Kagome. There's no reason for you to be upset over it. Since you and Inuyasha aren't involved in any such way, you have no reason to care if he enjoys Hiromi. I know the woman and he will most definitely enjoy it."

The angry look faded from her eyes, leaving in its place a lost confusion. "I'm happy for him then," she whispered. She leaned against the wall, her eyes closed in resignation. Even Jano had caught on to the fact that Inuyasha would be happier with an inuyoukai woman rather than her, what other choice did she have but to accept it?

Jano frowned, he'd expected the girl to fight for what she wanted, not just give up. "Kagome," he said gently. "What is the matter with you? If you love that thick-skulled hanyou, how can you just let him go with another woman?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she said, looking at the floor between their feet. "If he's with her, he doesn't want me. It doesn't matter how I feel about it."

"It matters to you," Jano told her. A blind man could tell how she felt, deny it as she did. The idea was breaking her heart, but she was resigned to it because she thought that was what Inuyasha really wanted. Silly child, he didn't know a single inuyoukai female that would not have been livid in her place.

On the other hand, they were not a mated couple and there was no reason for Hiromi or any other female not to assume the hanyou was fair game if he didn't make it plain. If he didn't reject Hiromi's advances, that was a pretty good indication that he didn't return Kagome's feelings.

But, Jano reminded himself, this was Inuyasha he was talking about and he couldn't expect the hanyou to react like a normal dog demon any more than he could expect Kagome to see things in other ways than her human heart would allow.

Kagome looked up at him. "It's all right, I can handle myself. I don't like it, but I'm not going to tell him what to do. If we're just supposed to be friends and nothing more, I have to accept that."

"Why?" he wanted to know. "Are you afraid to act on your own desires, girl? You have as much right as Hiromi to be with Inuyasha, more because you're in love with him. What's stopping you?"

The girl blushed prettily. "I can't just go in there and throw myself at him, Jano. I'd die of embarrassment."

He sighed, leaning against the wall next her. "I'll let you in on a little secret, Kagome," he said, thinking it was time to be blunt. "You're going to have to be aggressive if you want him to know how you feel. Inuyoukai women are very aggressive in getting what they want. They have to be, as we males tend to be headstrong and too stubborn for our own good. A strong female wants a strong male, but she can't afford to let him just run over her. No matter how obvious you think your feelings are, trust me, he's in the dark until you show him how you feel."

She shifted nervously, suddenly realizing how close they were standing. "I'm not like that, you don't understand. He'll just push me away. He wants to protect me from everything, including himself."

Lazily, he traced her cheekbone with a finger, noticing how wide her eyes got at his intimate caress. "That's because he doesn't see you as a woman, Kagome. Don't you think you should educate him?"

Kagome swallowed nervously, Jano was definitely making her uneasy by touching her face. There was an intense look in his eyes that she hadn't seen before and it made her heart race just a bit.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that," she mumbled.

"Why not?" he whispered, his hand moving to her hair before slowly traveling around her ear and down her neck. "Don't you see yourself as a woman? Don't you think that you're desirable?"

"I...I..." Kagome's voice gave out on her when Jano dipped his face next to hers, nuzzling her neck. His breath was warm on her skin, his lips only inches from her ear.

"I can assure you that you're very desirable, Kagome. Don't doubt yourself and don't be afraid to ask for what you want."

"I'm not afraid," she breathed, her voice sounding hesitant. The girl squeaked when he reached for her hip, pulling her closer even as the tip of his tongue touched the base of her throat. Her taste was sweet, innocent and excited, but despite her words very much afraid of what she was feeling.

"If you aren't sure what to do," he murmured into her hair, "I could be persuaded to show you."

_It sounds like a good idea_, Kagome thought, her head spinning. If she were inuyoukai herself, she was sure she'd take him up on the offer. Her heart didn't work like that, she'd only ever loved one person and that wasn't the person who was holding her so intimately.

Jano pulled back, gave the confused human a chance to breathe. He tipped her face up with a light finger, meeting her eyes and smiling gently. "Do you want me to kiss you, Kagome?"

She swallowed hard. "No," she whispered, aware that she'd been holding her breath and thinking he was going to do just that, permission or not.

Still smiling, Jano brushed her hair back from her face, caressing her with the back of his fingers. "Do you want Inuyasha to kiss you?"

She nodded slowly and Jano grinned at her as he moved back and took her hand in his. "Then let's go see about that," he said firmly, tugging her out the door with him and down the hall.

Jano moved quickly, making her trot to keep up with him as he pulled her along beside him. Standing in front of Inuyasha's door, the bodyguard gave her a challenging grin. "I can assure you he's in there and quite alone."

She stared at him. "You knew that the whole time?"

Jano raised an eyebrow. "I do have a nose, girl. I'd certainly know if he had company, wouldn't I?"

Kagome had the distinct feeling that she'd been set up and wanted to back away from the door. Jano wasn't going to let her, reached up and knocked himself before leaving her standing there.

"Don't back down," he murmured, winking at her. "If that stubborn fool doesn't get the idea, smack him for me. It might be the only way to wake him up."

Kagome opened her mouth to say something back at him, watching the bodyguard disappear down the dark corridor and wondering just how big of an idiot she'd already made of herself.

Be aggressive, huh? She wasn't sure she knew where to start.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha was standing in the doorway, looking a little sleepy and rubbing his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

He blinked at her, his hair a wild tumble over his bare shoulders. She could still see three faint scratches on his chest from his earlier fight, but they were just marks now and fading quickly. Yawning into his fist, Inuyasha gave her a curious look. "Do you need me, Kagome?"

"Yeah," she breathed, staring fixedly at him. _Inuyasha_, she thought, _I hope you're ready for this_. She pushed her way past him, ignoring the confusion in his eyes and turned to close the door behind her.


	21. TwentyOne

_**Chapter TwentyOne**_

Damn, but why did she always want to talk in the middle of the night? He was more tired than he wanted to admit. It had been a very long day and the fight was fun, but he was still uneasy with the attention he'd gotten for it. First he'd had to fight an idiot. Then he'd had to tell a woman that he really wasn't interested.

He wasn't sure why he'd rejected her, just that it left him with a funny feeling deep inside.

When she'd dragged him into the darkness and shoved him up against a wall, suddenly he'd gone cold inside. She was attractive, that was for sure and he could tell she knew exactly what she wanted from him. It should have been okay, but for some reason it wasn't. After a few minutes of intense groping, he'd finally had enough and gently pushed her away, feeling strangely guilty and shy about it.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, her fingers still tangling in his hair and the softness of her body pressed into his. His hands were firmly on her shoulders, keeping her at bay.

"Nothing's wrong," he muttered, wondering himself why he'd even stopped her. It had been...well, it had been a really long time for him even if you didn't count the fifty years he'd been left hanging on a tree. If he had any brains at all, he'd offer up thanks to the gods for his good fortune and let Hiromi do whatever the hell she wanted.

Hiromi snuggled against him, her hands still exploring gently. "Then why do you hesitate, hanyou-sama? I'm willing, your body is certainly willing, and there's nothing to be ashamed of in enjoying each other."

"I know," he murmured, suddenly realizing his body was ready, but for the first time, his heart really wasn't. He didn't want her; nothing he could think of would change that fact. She wasn't...she wasn't who he needed.

Hiromi sensed his withdrawal and sighed inwardly. When she kissed him, there was almost no response. It was like she was kissing a statue or a ghost. His mind was elsewhere. Her hand reached up to stroke his face. Such a beautiful face, not unlike his brother in that regard. As annoyed as she was, she couldn't help herself in being somewhat amused.

"That woman is lucky," she said, running her finger teasingly over his lips.

"Huh?" She sensed his confused scowl. "What are you babbling about, bitch?"

Hiromi's rich chuckle reached his ears as she took her hands from his body and stepped away. "She's a lucky woman indeed, hanyou-sama. Please give her my compliments." And then she was gone, her footfalls echoing quietly against the cool stone walls.

Feeling stupid and not sure why, the hanyou-sama had taken himself back to his room and nearly passed out from exhaustion.

Kagome was still looking at him like he was the most fascinating sight she'd ever laid her eyes on. It made him uneasy and he'd had about enough of it for one day.

"What?" he demanded.

She suddenly jumped for him, wrapping both hands around the back of his neck and diving for his mouth. Inuyasha was startled and barely managed to keep his feet under him as even the weight of her slight body put him off balance.

"Kagome," he gasped, trying to pry her off his face. "What the hell are you doing?"

To his utter shock and distress, the girl growled at him, grabbing his hair to force his mouth back to hers and using all the leverage she had to force him backwards. Inuyasha couldn't quite compensate for her aggressive attack and found himself too surprised to resist effectively.

Kagome suddenly shoved at him, sending him falling helplessly on the bed. He stared at her as the delicate looking girl jumped over his legs, straddling his waist in a decidedly determined fashion. One small hand planted just below his throat as she leaned in to capture his lips again.

Was she trying to...dominate him?

The overwhelmed hanyou didn't know what to do, lying perfectly still with his arms limply at his sides. Kagome's kisses were bruising, intense, and he winced as her teeth scraped against his fangs. Of course, he could have thrown her off like a feather, but he was still too stunned by her oral assault to make sense of anything. Every now and then, she looked into his eyes and made a possessive sounding rumble before attacking him again.

It was erotic as hell. Or it would have been if it hadn't been Kagome that was attacking him like a desperate bitch in heat and that made it all just a little too much. Finally, he just couldn't take it anymore and grabbed her shoulders to lift her off of him.

"Kagome, what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"You can't tell?" she shot back, struggling against his hold. Kagome squirmed against his hold, fighting to get back to what she'd been doing. Angrily, she swatted at him until he let go, dropping her back on his chest. Kagome planted a hand on either side of his head and stared down at him intently.

"I want you, Inuyasha."

"You what?" he demanded, sitting up on his elbows. Unfortunately, his movement was badly timed as Kagome was just leaning in to try and kiss him again. Their heads collided with a sharp crack and Kagome yelped and grabbed her forehead in pain.

"Ow, damn it!"

"I'm sorry," he muttered, reaching for her face. She whacked his hand away in frustration. He protested as she grabbed for his wrists and held them down. It was laughable really, as Kagome could in no way match his strength. He found himself smirking at the very idea that she was pretending to physically control him.

Her face dipped near his and Kagome's eyes narrowed. "If you move or try to get away, I swear to god I will purify you within an inch of your life!"

_Now that was a genuine threat_, he thought, nervously leaning back again. Kagome moved to start kissing his neck and chest, much gentler now and he relaxed a bit.

"Um, can I ask why you're doing this?"

She eyed him from down his chest, her eyes dark with desire. "Because I'm tired of waiting," she said calmly, reasonably, as if it was so obvious even a stupid hanyou should be able to figure it out.

Maybe not. "Waiting for what?" he asked suspiciously.

Kagome grunted, planted her elbows on his midsection while her fingers traced lazy circles over his chest. "I'm tired of waiting for you to decide that you want me. I'm tired of waiting for you to make up your mind what you want. I know I want you and I'm not going to wait anymore."

"So I get no say in this at all?" he asked sarcastically. His tone covered the genuine surprise he was feeling. It did take the pressure off him, having her so determined. Not a bad feeling at all, he decided only a fool would keep trying to resist at this point.

Not to mention he didn't want to risk pissing her off the point where she really might try to purify him after all.

Kagome grinned, sensing victory. "You get no say whatsoever," she said loftily. Her hands wandered over his chest fondly as she sat up again. "Just let me do what I want, okay?"

He could agree to that. Kagome's lips were soft as feathers against his skin. Her lips drew at him, compelled him and Inuyasha closed his eyes blissfully. This was nice now that she'd stopped tearing at him. Slowly, the girl moved back up his chest, kissing his neck tenderly, savoring his taste. This time as her face hovered over his, her lips were gentle and Inuyasha had no complaints at all.

"Whatever you want," he whispered, not opening his eyes so he could float on the surface of sensation.

Kagome's only answer was to nip lightly at him, letting her teeth graze gently over his chest, hearing as his breathing sped up in reaction. It was working, it was really working. He was letting her touch him, for the first time he was letting her do what she wanted. Kagome's excitement began to build as she moved along, her fingers exploring as she ran her hands over his smooth, muscled form, tracing the lines of his ribs and flat belly.

His back arched unconsciously as she moved farther down his body, reacting to every single touch, the slight brush of her hair against his sensitive skin, the friction of her tongue whispering of a maddening pleasure. He didn't know how much longer he could stand it before he grabbed her and threw her across the bed.

It was okay to give into those desires now, wasn't it? He wasn't responsible as she'd damn near threatened his life to get him to agree. It was what she wanted and that was just all there was to it.

Inuyasha found he was growling a little, trying to hold himself back from taking control. Kagome's hands were at his waist now, still kissing him gently as she caressed him. It was amazing that he could just relax and let himself go at this point. He was truly enjoying everything about it when he felt the first hint of hesitation from Kagome. Her hands had stilled at his waist and he carefully lifted his head so he could see her face.

Kagome looked pensive, her full lower lip caught between her teeth and a small, vexed frown on her forehead. He didn't quite understand what the problem was, only wished she'd finish what she'd started. Her aggression had evaporated as suddenly as it had appeared and if he didn't know better, he'd say she was scared.

For a moment, he couldn't understand why. She'd seemed totally sure of herself, unable to be talked out of her plan by his weak protests, and then her confidence had just disappeared like smoke in the wind.

Then it hit him that this was as far as she'd gone in her mind. Inuyasha grinned to himself. She'd gotten all worked up to seduce him and now that she had him right where she wanted, she didn't know what to do.

It was so funny he couldn't help it. He snickered.

Kagome looked up, surprised by the sound. Inuyasha had propped himself up on his elbows, a wide, knowing grin on his face and a challenging glint in his golden eyes. She met his gaze and felt a slow flush creep over her cheeks. Was he laughing...at her?

"What's so funny?" she demanded as his body started to quake with suppressed giggles. The hanyou was laughing, or trying to hold back from laughing, as he stared at her.

"You are," he said, snickering even harder. The look on her face was going to kill him, never mind the purification. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks coloring slowly. Embarrassed, she looked away and he couldn't help it when he lost the fight and started to laugh even harder. He didn't notice the angry, hurt set to her lips as she watched him laugh at her.

"You were all aggressive just a minute ago," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Now you don't want to admit you don't the slightest idea what you're doing."

Angry tears filled her eyes. "Fine," she snarled, pulling away from him to scramble off the bed. "To hell with you, Inuyasha! I'm sorry I even tried!" Hurt humiliation made her chest ache but Kagome was determined to get the hell out of there before he got to see her cry. Everything was a mess and she was a complete moron to think she could pull this off in the first place.

She didn't know the first thing about making love to a man.

Inuyasha stopped laughing when Kagome yanked herself away from him. "Hey," he said, startled. "Where are you going?"

"Away from you," she bit out, fury choking her words. As long as she stayed mad she wouldn't cry in front of him.

Oh shit, he'd done it again. Now she was really pissed and probably going to stay that way for a very long time. A curious feeling rose in his chest as he watched her straighten her clothes as she headed for the door. Suddenly, it was all crystal clear; it was like time itself slowed down so he'd have a chance to think about it.

If he let her leave this room, he'd never get another chance with her. It would be the end, even if they were able to stay friends after this.

He would lose Kagome.

Leaping up, he ran to reach the door just as she opened it. Kagome glared at him, but he shut the door anyway, glaring back at her.

"You're just going to leave after doing that to me?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Kagome planted her hands on her hips as her eyes glittered back at him. He could tell she was really mad at him this time. "After you laughed at me? I can't even be in the same room with you right now. Just leave me alone!"

"Oh sure," he sneered. "Everything doesn't go your way so you take the first opportunity to run away. I don't know why I'm surprised."

"I'm not running away," Kagome snapped. Wasn't it enough that he'd humiliated her by laughing? Did he want to rub it in that she'd made a mistake? Damn Jano and his advice! She should have known he wouldn't take her seriously.

She took a deep breath so her voice wouldn't shake because she wanted to sound calm even in the face of this horrible mistake. "I'm sorry," she said coldly. "I made a mistake, I don't want to do this."

He stared at her. "Don't give me that shit," he said nastily. "You just got scared, now you're using it as an excuse to back out on me."

"Everything's not about you!" she shouted, furious with him and losing her control. "You think I didn't see what was going on earlier? You think I didn't see you go off with that woman? That's why you laughed at me isn't it?"

Inuyasha frowned, scratching his head. "What's Hiromi got to do with it?" he wanted to know. He didn't do anything wrong, he was the one who had turned the youkai woman down because it didn't feel right, but Kagome didn't know that.

He gave a short bark of a laugh and shook his head. "So that's it, you got jealous when you saw me with her. I should have know it was something like that, I wondered what got into you."

How could he act like this wasn't important? Kagome's hands balled into fists unconsciously. How could he act like she wasn't supposed to feel anything when she'd done everything she could to show him what she felt? And still he was standing here, looking like an idiot because he thought she was jealous over some damn whore?

"I'm not jealous," Kagome muttered, glaring up at him.

His eyes narrowed. "You're a shitty liar, Kagome."

Her face flushed a dark, angry red. "Don't make me say it," she snarled. He was asking for the sit of his life, she swore he was going to get it, too.

Inuyasha found he was just as mad at her now. "That's your answer for everything, isn't it?" he asked bitterly. "Just sit me now and get it over with, I'm tired of playing this game."

"It's a game to you?" Kagome asked, staring at him. Couldn't he see that she was hurting? What had ever possessed her to fall in love with someone with so little sensitivity, so little regard for her feelings? Her friends had been right, this was going nowhere. She shouldn't be with someone who didn't respect her, didn't care how she felt or what she thought.

He took a deep breath himself, he really didn't want to shout at her. "It's not a game, Kagome. I know I'm an asshole most of the time, believe me, it's no secret. And maybe sometimes I deserve it when you sit me, but not right now."

Kagome scowled. "You deserve it now for laughing at me."

Inuyasha sighed, looking tired. "You know what I hate the most about when you sit me? It just reminds me over and over that you don't really trust me and never did."

"What?" Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd stood by him this long and now he had the gall to accuse her of not trusting him? That was so ridiculous it would have made her laugh if it didn't make her want to cry.

Inuyasha flushed and looked away. "You don't trust me," he muttered. "That's why you're jealous, that's why you keep the rosary on. You know I'd never hurt you, but you still use it anyway."

Kagome couldn't breathe. What he was saying was too close to what she'd been thinking earlier, when she'd wanted to come apologize to him. Her eyes filled with tears, realizing her instincts had been right at the time, but for the wrong reasons. His face was closed and bitter now, realizing this time was the final rejection.

It was plain as day now, the way she'd made him feel. Did anyone ever trust him or even give him a chance before she'd met him? Kagome thought she'd touched Inuyasha's heart more than anyone else, she hoped she had anyway. It would be insane to think that some of the love she felt for him wasn't going to be returned.

Wordless, she reached out, earning a startled look from Inuyasha as she grasped the necklace in her fingers. Suddenly she hated it and hated herself for every time she'd used it against him. No wonder he didn't want to open up to her, no wonder it had been so hard for him to get close to her. The rosary had served its purpose and she wasn't going to let him be held by it for one minute longer.

Inuyasha's eyes went wide when she yanked hard on the rosary. For a moment, it fought back, not wanting to be cast aside. Then it broke, sending purple beads flying across the floor, spilling in a wide pattern. His body shook, a surge of power that came from gods only knew where made his nerves tremble, made his heart race. He shook his head hard, trying to clear it, trying to find focus on the girl in front of him.

He was free.

Kagome found that her hands were shaking and she wrapped her arms around her body, unable to look into his eyes. It was sad that she'd found out too late what was keeping them apart.

"I've always trusted you, Inuyasha," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I never meant to use it against you. I was wrong."

"Kagome," he breathed, unable to find any other words for what he felt. He didn't care about the damn necklace, he cared that she trusted him without it. It meant that she saw him as something more than just a violent half-demon, more than just her protector. It might even mean that she really loved him.

Her head was bowed in shame. She couldn't see the look that was in his eyes, she didn't realize that all the bonds had been shattered, not just a simple rosary. He moved closer, reaching for her with tenderness he'd never felt comfortable enough to display.

"Kagome," he said her name again, wanting her to look at him.

"I should go," she muttered, feeling empty inside. _So much for showing him what I feel, I should have known better_.

"Kagome," he said for the third time, reaching out to seize her arms as she turned away. "Look at me."

She looked up, her eyes still teary and sad. Inuyasha smiled faintly, he had to do something about that look. "Come here," he said, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Kagome's nose was pressed into his chest, her arms slowly folding around his waist. She needed this, she needed to be held. It wasn't about sex for her right now; it was about feeling comforted and safe. She had always wanted that from him, been scared to admit it even to herself, but that was what she needed.

"Inuyasha," she murmured.

Everything seemed to slow down for her then, she saw him leaning closer, his eyes watching hers carefully for any sign of withdrawal. She licked her lips, wanting the kiss too much to even think straight. His mouth covered hers, gentle and searching, asking for something nameless.

Her hands had a mind of their own, reaching up to bury in his hair, hold him closer if that was possible. His tongue pressed against her lips, asking for entrance and she opened herself to him without hesitation. It was surrender; it was giving up, it was asking for what she needed and Kagome gave herself over to the kiss.

Suddenly he broke away, leaving her breathless as he picked her up and carried her over to the bed, falling backwards himself as he held her clasped against him. Kagome stared into his eyes, holding herself up with her elbows. Inuyasha reached for her then, pulling her face down to his for a kiss.

"I think it's time we finished what you started," he murmured against her lips.

Then he was kissing her the way she'd always wanted. It was too good to be true and Kagome wanted to pinch herself to make sure it was for real. Instead, she kissed him back as well as she knew how, thrilling to the feeling of his hands moving over her body. This was much better than making him lay still, it was best to be touched and caressed as well as to give back in return.

Inuyasha felt his pulse starting to pound in his ears, it was too much, and everything just felt so right he couldn't stand it. He didn't want to pressure her but he was sure he was going to die from the tension if they didn't move things along. He was desperate for her, she was water to his thirst, she was air itself, and he needed her to live. Breaking himself free of the sweet taste of her lips, he prepared to roll them over so he could move on top of her.

Unfortunately, he wasn't paying attention, being way too distracted by her soft whispers and the urgent need rising in his body. He rolled too far and they flipped over the side of the bed, landing in a confused heap with Kagome on top again, a little trickle of blood on her lip where she'd nicked it on his fangs.

For a moment they just stared at each other. Then Kagome started to giggle and Inuyasha let out a loud groan of frustration.

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes dancing. "I didn't mean to laugh, I'm really sorry!"

"Shit," he muttered, grinning helplessly in spite of the gruff tone in his voice. That got her laughing harder, burying her face in his chest and her body quaking on top of his. Inuyasha couldn't help himself, it was funny.

"Are you laughing at me?" he growled playfully, squeezing her shoulders in a hug.

Kagome looked up, her eyes sparkling with tears, these this time of mirth. "I can't help it," she gasped out. Then she squealed when his hands moved up the back of her legs and tickled the sensitive area behind her knees.

"Inuyasha, stop it," she squeaked, fighting him.

"No, you wanted to laugh, now you're going to laugh," he chuckled, tickling her harder, being careful to not scratch her with his claws.

Kagome giggled and twisted on top him, making him almost painfully aware of her. Her body was softly curved, just ripened like the sweetest fruit and he felt her laughter cease as his hands had moved under her shirt. Now he wasn't trying to tickle her. Instead, her face flushed and the girl swallowed hard. She was still on top of him, straddling his waist and bracing herself with her palms against his shoulders.

"Don't stop," she whispered as his hands found her breasts.

He had no intention of stopping now. Roughly, he pulled her shirt off so he could look at her. Not that he didn't know what she looked like since he wasn't quite innocent of peeping.

It was different now that she knew he was looking at her. His hands moved over her breasts, molding them in his hands, rubbing his thumbs against her now rigid nipples. Kagome moaned softly, shutting her eyes and leaning into his hands, willing him to go farther, touch more, set her skin on fire.

Inuyasha sat up, leaning her carefully back in his lap, his hands dropping to her hips as he cradled her against him. Kagome threw back her head, smiling as she moved her hands to his legs to support herself when Inuyasha darted forward and took her breast between his lips. She let out a loud gasp of pleasure and quickly moved her hands to his head so he wouldn't even think about stopping.

Intense sensation, burning almost, seared her all the way to the pit of her belly. He sucked the taut skin, kissing her intently one second and then teasing her with the tip of his tongue. It was too much, Kagome started to cry out a bit and whine, rocking her hips into him with an unschooled need and urgency.

It was happening, it was going to happen. She was ready for this and from where she was sat; Inuyasha seemed to need her just as desperately.

Inuyasha let Kagome go with a series of loving licks to her breasts, enjoying the shuddering reaction such attentions were causing. He wanted nothing more now than just to be with her, skin to skin, nothing else mattering in the world. Naraku himself could have walked in right now and offered him the sacred jewel with an apology and he wouldn't have noticed. He gently moved his Kagome to the side, meaning to free himself from his clothing.

At least hers was simple. He was still wearing the bottom half of his elaborate clothing and fumbled with the sashes that secured it. Grumbling a bit, but still not quite at the point of shredding it with his claws, he had some success and managed to get them off by kicking out awkwardly with one leg.

Unfortunately, again, he was a little too eager in getting himself free of it, the silk material pooling around his knees as he tried to move back to Kagome. He was distracted by her, hardly thinking as his eyes drank her in, and his knees skidded on the pile of silk. He fell forward, twisting a little to the side instead of doing a painful for obvious reasons belly flop. As it was, he bit down hard on his tongue when his chin hit the floor.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Kagome asked, sitting up and reaching for him.

_Great_, he thought sourly. Did nothing ever go his way?

"I'm fine," he sighed. Only his pride and his tongue had taken damage. Kagome grinned, leaning over him to kiss him gently. He winced anyway and realized that one of his fangs had nearly pierced his lower lip. Kagome dabbed the blood away with her finger, leaning on her elbow next to him.

"You know, Inuyasha, it's entirely possible that we're dangerous to each other."

"Fuck that," he growled. He wasn't going to let a couple pratfalls stop them. He stood up, pulling Kagome to her feet and reaching behind her to find the fastening of her skirt. Kagome leaned against him as he removed it, trying hard not to start laughing again. She managed to get her own underthings off; afraid in his current frustrated state he might tear her clothes.

Then suddenly, nothing was funny anymore. She was naked and he was naked and oh god, he was reaching for her. Kagome couldn't breathe as he moved her firmly back, bracing her against the wall. It was cool, but not unpleasantly so and she stared up at him. His golden eyes captured hers, held them prisoner as she slowly raised her hands to his arms, tacitly telling him to go ahead.

Inuyasha swallowed hard and reached for her, lifting her up and supporting her easily as he held her against the wall. Kagome was breathing hard now, half excited and half fearful as she clutched at him for reassurance. It was too intense; she suddenly wanted to run away, her heart pounding insanely in her chest.

He rested his head against the wall as Kagome pulled her knees over his hips, holding him tightly with her legs around his waist and her arms curving around his neck.

"Go on," she whispered, feeling him ready to enter her, waiting for permission.

"Are you sure?" he asked, a hint of desperation in his voice. "If you aren't, I don't have to..."

Kagome buried her face in his shoulder. She was on fire, she was ice, she was everything in between, but she wasn't going to let him go. "I'm sure. I've been sure forever. I think I've loved you since the first minute I saw you, when you were still sleeping."

She broke his heart by saying things like that. "I don't deserve you," he whispered into her hair. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but falling in love with you wasn't one of them."

Kagome looked at him then, wanting to see his face. It was full of wonder and a wild desire. His mouth came down on hers as he suddenly surged forward, unable to hold back any longer. Kagome arched her back, accepting him, wanting him to be inside her like it was something she'd always been craving.

It hurt, but not as much as she'd been told to expect and Kagome trembled against him, her eyes screwed tightly shut. She felt his quick intake of breath then. They had finally come together and both of them were shocked to silence by the moment.

Inuyasha murmured something intelligible to her and she really didn't need to know what he was saying. Slowly, he sank to his knees, suddenly weakened by the blood pulsing in his body. Kagome heard the sound of his claws scraping against the wall as he eased down to the floor, his other arm clamping her body against his like they could never be torn apart.

He was waiting for her to adjust to him, she realized and didn't want him to wait, or to hesitate, or to worry about anything. She made this known when her hips thrust against his, encouraging him and whispering his name over and over in his ear.

Kagome cried out as he started to move, his arm still braced between her and the hard stone wall. Her hips cradled his and she held on for dear life when he hissed and moved faster, unable to hold back another second. It was all for now, this moment. She tried to match him, tried to meet him, but in the end all she could do was answer his demanding movements with her compliance.

His breath was hot and ragged in her ear and she could hear him straining towards her, moving faster and claiming her with each thrust, each cry, each whimper as she dug her fingernails into the skin of his back. Her voice sounded shrill and strange in her ears as she gave herself over to the moment, her body arching and twisting in response to him, her thighs aching from gripping him so fiercely.

Suddenly, Kagome realized that he was waiting for her, not understanding that her body might not be able to climax in her first time. She didn't want him to wait, they'd waited long enough. She pushed against the small of his back, using her legs to shove him inside with all her strength.

Inuyasha held her tightly, finding the sweetness of her lips and accepting body more than he could have asked. He wanted to be gentle, tender for her, but right now he couldn't even think straight.

Everything he'd ever felt in his life was pooling towards this one moment and finally he tensed and threw himself against her like a drowning man searching for rescue, crying out her name in a ragged howl. He shuddered violently, barely able to keep them upright against the wall.

Slowly, his mind came back to him, listening to Kagome's harsh breathing, feeling her arms so tight around his neck that he couldn't move. With a low moan, he eased away from the wall, his legs cramping from the strain. Inuyasha held her close as he laid down on the floor, his chest heaving in time to hers. He was breathing, she was breathing, and it was enough for him.

Touching his face, her fingers became wet and Kagome pulled herself up to look at him.

"Inuyasha, why are you crying?" she whispered.

"I don't know." He wrapped his body around hers, burying his face in her hair. Right now, he was content just to hold her close and drift away on her scent.

It was all he'd ever wanted and he was moved to tears, just by having her in his arms.


	22. TwentyTwo

_**Chapter TwentyTwo**_

Sesshomaru was dozing, asleep almost as he lounged in a chair next to the fire. The evenings were growing colder, sign of the change in seasons coming. It mattered not as he was comfortable where he was.

Sango was curled in his lap, not unlike the cat-demon that was so devoted to her. The demon lord's eyes were half closed, his hand lazily reaching out to stroke her dark hair, wandering affectionately over her skin. She stirred in her sleep, his human woman, stretching as she settled into position with her head tucked just under his chin.

His fingers stroked her cheek, feeling the slight warmth of a healing bruise. A scowl of annoyance crossed his perfect features when he detected the faint swelling of injury. Hisuni had gotten off far too easy in his estimation; he deserved a painful death for his boldness in striking his lord's mate. Sango murmured softly, dreaming, or maybe reacting to the barest flicker of his anger.

It was good, he thought, that he could read her body, even her dreams at this point. And she was bonding fast to him in response; the child within her had taken zealously to its gestational home. As time went on, the demon blood of the child would cause her senses to sharpen, bind her to him with its instincts and demands.

He would take excellent care of his mate, knowing already the difficulty human women could experience in bearing a demon's child.

Contemplating that he decided again, as if he needed further confirmation that he had chosen well. Sango was strong, physically and mentally; she would be a fine mother. Never had he believed he would find himself so attached to a female and a human at that. It amazed him, this depth of feeling she inspired in him.

At first, he had been tempted to dismiss his emotions as either simple lust or possessiveness. So even a demon lord could be wrong about himself it seemed. Having her lie quietly in his lap, trusting him to be her protector and lord, was every bit as satisfying as bedding her.

An amused smile whispered on his lips. Not that he had any intention of ever giving up bedding her.

His sharp senses detected movement outside his door. Even half asleep and relaxed like this he could not help but be aware of his surroundings. Identification came easily and he sat still as the door of his private study was quietly opened and the little girl entered. The first time she'd done something like this he'd been irritated beyond words, thinking it presumptuous and an invasion of his privacy.

He hadn't turned her away either, merely watched the young girl until she fell asleep before calling someone to return her to her room.

Sesshomaru thought he had a better understanding of her motivations now. Rin was simply seeking comfort and he was the only source of it for her. Ironic that a feared youkai lord would become the center of the world to a tiny human. It hadn't been his intention or his plan when he'd spared her. Tenseiga had compelled him, pure and simple. It had been some months before he'd figured out why.

The sword that was a mystery and a vexation had answered some ancient magic inside of him. Somehow Rin had drawn from his cold soul a shred of compassion, a whisper of pity, a bare sliver of remorse when he'd seen her mangled corpse. It had been enough to ignite Tenseiga, the very first time the blade had ever called him, Sesshomaru, answer to it. He'd been furious...and fascinated.

Now he watched her impassively as she slowly approached, raising her hand and putting her fingers in her mouth as she stared at Sango. Questions she didn't have the words to ask were in her eyes as Rin drew closer until she was standing beside him. Patiently, he waited for the child to process this unusual development in her world until Rin finally raised her gaze to his.

"Rin. Are you having trouble sleeping?"

She nodded, not taking her eyes from Sango's relaxed face. His lips curled slightly in amusement. "Are you surprised to find her here?"

The girl glanced at him before nodding again. She took her fingers out of her mouth to speak. "Did she have trouble sleeping too?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer immediately, thinking about where he wanted to go with his response. "I don't believe so. She is here because I wished it and also that she wished it."

Lazily, he waved the girl closer until she was within his reach. His pale hand reached to touch a bit of the child's dark hair. "Do you like having Sango and Kohaku here?"

Rin smiled, looking less confused and tentative at the mention of the boy's name. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama," she answered quietly. Her large eyes met his, questioning. "Are they going to stay with us for always now? Like Rin stays here?"

"I do hope they choose to," he said lightly, glancing down at Sango. He wouldn't tell Rin that Kohaku really had little choice; he had become more certain than ever that Tenseiga's proximity was necessary to keep the boy alive. In theory at least, the boy should be able to go where he wished, only that he should return regularly to the sword's side.

Better than a death sentence, it wasn't as if the boy were a prisoner.

As for Sango, she was now his mate. Why would she ever want to leave?

Rin seemed to be content with his answer and turned to leave after shyly touching his sleeve. "I'm going to go back to bed," she informed him, yawning sleepily.

Sesshomaru had turned back to watching the fire when he felt Sango stir. "That was very sweet of you," she murmured.

His hand touched her face, tipping her chin up to meet his gaze. "You were awake," he said, not a question, just a statement of fact.

"Of course," she smiled up at him, pleasure in her dark eyes. "Does she often come to see you at night?"

He considered the question. "She has nightmares," he said in a thoughtful tone. "Not as often as she used to, but still some."

Sango's expression grew serious. "Nightmares of what?" She knew nothing of the human child her demon lord had acquired.

His hand played lazily in her hair. "Wolves. She dreams of wolves and they terrify her. With good reason, as it was wolves that killed her."

Sango sat straight up in his lap, surprised beyond words. "Killed her? Sesshomaru, that's...I don't understand."

"Tenseiga," he whispered, drawing her back down to his chest. "How else?"

_Of course_, she thought, leaning her cheek against his chest to listen to the slow, steady rhythm of his heart. It was easy to forget, even with Kohaku, her mind didn't want to accept the fact that he had died and been brought back. It chilled her thinking of that sword, grateful as she was to its mystical powers.

It seemed impossible that any creature should have dominion over life and death. Sesshomaru did, when and where he chose, with a katana made from his father's fang. Just like Tessaiga, only for opposite purposes. One to destroy, one to heal. One to protect, one to preserve. The power to conquer in one hand and the power to rescue in the other.

Her fingers laced with his as she thought about it, it was beyond her experience to explain. She wondered at the motivations of the infamous daiyoukai who had the pair of blades forged and then left them to his sons, setting the brothers against each other inadvertently or for some unknown reason that she had no way to divine.

In either case, she knew better than to ask, it being a somewhat sore subject with her mate even if he had given up the idea of murdering his younger brother. For the moment anyway. It amused her that their battles had always been in some way interrupted, keeping them from the necessity of killing each other.

And when Sesshomaru had had the advantage, he'd walked away. That had been something she'd never quite comprehended, it went against everything she'd been taught regarding youkai nature. A demon should be by definition opportunistic, certainly not capable of displaying any sense of mercy.

Sango sighed to herself, mercy from a youkai was every bit as unlikely as the fact that a demon exterminator now found herself at home in that youkai's lap, with his fingers tracing designs down her back and his breath warm in her hair. Slowly she tilted her head back, inviting him to kiss her.

Not one to deny his mate's wishes, Sesshomaru complied, brushing her lips with his so gently that it felt like a feathered touch of silk against her skin, warming her breath with his own as her lips parted.

Sesshomaru's eyes closed as her tongue traced over his lips, probing gently between them with a sweet abandon. Relaxed, he allowed her exploration, her hands coming up to cup his face and her fingers lacing into his hair. Sango's kiss deepened, her lips compelling, her tongue drawing his with increasingly demanding pressure. As her kisses became more insistent, hungry for him, he could smell Sango's arousal building. Her scent intensified and started to burn into his senses.

He found himself smiling when he heard the first whimper, the whispers of her desire pulled from her throat. Sango's hands were trailing down his neck to his chest, slipping aside his clothing so her mouth could drop against his skin and taste him.

She felt that her desire was almost compulsive. Now that she'd started, she didn't know how she could stop herself. Everything about him, his pale skin, his warm, spicy scent, made her want him more and unable to control her hands and tongue as they caressed him. A low, deep rumble started somewhere in his chest, a contented growl, the lazy satisfied purr of a pleased and affectionate creature. She wanted to hear more, she wanted to hear him call for her, whisper her name over and over like a mantra, and she moved her hand down between them and flushed with anticipation at his sudden hiss of excitement and pleasure.

His arm swung around behind her, hauling her up against him as he sat straight up, making her turn in his lap and her knees straddling him as he stared into her eyes. She caught her breath at that intense expression and quite forgot what she was about to say. His eyes were molten, full of desire for her and the union between them.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to tease a demon?" he growled softly.

Her back relaxed into an easy curve against his palm, bringing her body forward until her breasts were pressed against his chest. Mischief in her eyes, she smiled ever so faintly. "No, Sesshomaru-sama. No one ever told me such a thing. Will you please show me why?"

oOo

Someone was knocking. Someone was banging on his door, rousing the monk out of an uneasy sleep. "Just a minute," he muttered, cursing whoever was on the other side of that door. He'd just finally gotten himself to sleep, after several hours of lying on his bed and feeling frustrated, not to mention sorry for himself.

Miroku wasn't usually given to such bouts of introspection, but he was starting to feel a little bit forgotten, pushed to the side and rejected like an unacceptable relative that no one wanted to have visit. That wasn't fair to his friends, but it didn't change the fact. Inuyasha had been dragged away by a gorgeous woman, even Sango and Kagome had disappeared and left him to his own devices.

Which was why his face was a little sore, but that wasn't something all that unusual. He'd finally managed to talk himself out of his bad mood and into a more circumspect view, relaxing his body with mediation until his mind became quiet and he was able to rest. Now some fool was on the other side of the door, demanding that he come to find out what new crisis had been dropped upon the members of his little traveling party.

The knocking was growing more insistent, hard staccato against the wooden door and Miroku grumbled to himself as he shrugged into his robes so he would be decent and composed when he met this new challenge.

"Just a minute," he called out, louder this time and sounding annoyed even to his own ears. You'd think one night would be free of conflict and the agitations of inuyoukai.

He yanked open the door and was momentarily surprised to see Makiko standing there, arms folded firmly across her chest, her hair pulled back in a sensible cluster of braids. _Unusual hair, that one_, he thought absently before composing his expression into Virtuous Monk.

"Can I help you?" he inquired pleasantly, bowing slightly to the annoyed looking woman.

There was a slight flush over her pale features, a depth of irritation in her dark eyes. "You most certainly cannot help me," she said evenly. His face showed only gentle concern. "It is because of your actions that I'm here, houshi-sama. It has been brought to my attention that you've been taking liberties with the female members of my staff."

_Uh oh_, he thought, withdrawing slightly in case she was going to belt him. No help for it, he decided, realizing that any excuse he might make would be met with scorn. _My hand slipped...more than once. The young lady must be mistaken; I only meant to assist her. It was only an affectionate touch; I am a holy man after all, Makiko. How dare you accuse me of such perversions, you insult my vows and my calling?_

Her angry glare made the words die in his mouth and Miroku only lowered his eyes and sighed heavily. "I apologize," he murmured, offering her a sincere bow. Sincere enough for the circumstances anyway. "I was out of line."

"I'll agree with that," she muttered looking away. "It's not me that you need to apologize to, houshi-sama," Makiko said formally. "It's the young ladies that you violated with your attentions that deserve your contrition."

"Violated?" he echoed, his eyes growing wide. "That's a little strong, don't you think? I certainly didn't mean for them to feel violated." Apparently this was a little different from tickling some pretty village maid. Maybe inuyoukai took serious offense to a casual brush of his hand.

Only he hadn't casually brushed them, he recalled fondly. It was more of a delicious exploration of the firm, well-rounded backsides, his hand contracting again as he thought about the soft, womanly curves he'd illicitly sampled.

"Houshi-sama!" Makiko snapped, not liking the way the human's attention seemed to be wandering. Now that he was looking at her again, Makiko tried to keep her expression as stern as she could under the circumstances.

"I don't know how such behavior is viewed among humans," she began, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But among inuyoukai such advances are improper. The girls who serve in this fortress are under my supervision and my protection. I feel it my duty to inform you that such...lewd actions will not be permitted."

"I understand," he said evenly. _Just one more rejection to round out a perfect evening_, he decided sourly. "I will do my best to mend my behavior."

Miroku made as if to shut the door but Makiko threw up her hand to stop him. "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation," she said coldly, her eyes glittering at him. "Under inuyoukai law, the young ladies you touched have every right to demand satisfaction."

"What?" Miroku felt a little shiver of fear go up his spine. Was he about to have the hell beaten out of him by a couple of angry youkai females? Or worse, were their mates or brothers going to do the deed for them? Nervously, he pulled at his collar and swallowed. Surely they weren't going to really hurt him? How much satisfaction did a couple of lighthearted gropes deserve?

"Makiko-san," he said politely, thinking it might be a good idea to throw himself on her mercy, if she had any, that was. "I don't know how I can apologize for my indiscretions. I completely admit myself to be in the wrong and I promise to not do anything like that again."

He swallowed anxiously. "What...uh...satisfaction will they demand?"

Her eyebrow rose at his genuine concern, obviously the young man had realized that he'd pushed his luck, and their hospitality a little too far. "I accept that you will no longer be making advances against any more of my household staff," she said, her tone easing considerably.

His expression turned hopeful and Makiko let her voice go hard again. "As for satisfaction, you'll have to give that to the young females you wronged. Aiko! Zumi!"

Miroku choked when two of his earlier victims came to their mistress' side and looked at him with stern and uncompromising eyes. The girls stood silently, glaring at him until he felt the slight flush creep up his neck and make his ears burn. It was embarrassing, but he wasn't too proud to beg.

"Good ladies," he said formally, bowing again. "I sincerely apologize for any liberties I may have taken with you and most humbly throw myself on your mercy."

"Mercy?" Aiko asked, looking over at her sister.

Makiko's faint grin answered her. "You'll have to decide if you want to let him off easy, Aiko," she said, smirking and exchanging a wink with Zumi. "I will remind you that humans are much more fragile than inuyoukai, even the males. Please do take care and not damage the houshi-sama. At least no more than necessary, I don't want to find him in the infirmary tomorrow."

"Yes, mistress," Zumi said demurely, looking at the floor. "We promise to be careful."

Now that's not unpromising, Miroku decided. Maybe they'd just slap him around a bit to get the point across. He felt the safest course would be to not resist. They had to have some sense of compassion, didn't they? Otherwise they would have torn out his throat when he first touched them.

Miroku wasn't looking forward to a beating, but he was sure that he could endure it if they weren't going to try to kill him. He could tolerate pain fairly well, after all, how many times had he groped Sango and felt the taste of her Hiraikotsu across his head?

Aiko suddenly pushed him, her hands on his shoulders propelling him forcefully into the room as Zumi followed, turning swiftly to close the door. Aiko continued her somewhat gentle shove until she backed Miroku across the room and pushed him when the back of his legs touched the strange raised bed. Not for the first time, he pondered the unusual furnishing of this place but sank down onto the softness, his hands limp at his sides.

It seemed like a dream, two angry women coming to demand he pay for getting too familiar with their bodies. It had to happen someday, Mushiin had warned him about the universe paying him back for his sins. Like the old drunkard had any business lecturing him when it came to indiscretion.

Aiko planted hands on her hips and surveyed the nervous human. _This was going to be fun_, she thought, a wicked smile starting to play on her lips. His scent said that he was scared, more than a little intimidated, probably realizing that he deserved some kind of punishment for his wandering hands.

Zumi leaned over her shoulder languidly as she stared at Miroku with an unreadable, but intense expression. "Did you want to go first, Aiko?" she asked.

Aiko nodded slightly, already getting into the spirit of the moment as she watched the human squirm under their eyes. "I don't mind," she said easily, raising her claws to her lips and licking at the blunt tips. Such a pity, these could hardly even leave scratches.

"Unless you want to go first," she said generously, her eyes twinkling a little as she looked at Zumi.

Miroku swallowed hard, his throat was dry. They were going to take turns beating him up? Aiko stared at him, meeting his eyes.

"Are you scared of us, houshi-sama?"

A man had to have some dignity. He composed his features and closed his eyes in resignation. "Not at all, dear ladies. I'm certain I deserve what you're going to do, I am prepared to endure as long as I can."

"Gods, I hope so," Aiko said, her voice a throaty purr. Miroku's eyes snapped open, and then his mouth fell open as the girl moved closer, her fingers playing with the fastenings of her yukata. Zumi had a mischievous grin and licked her lips at him in a fashion he had no trouble interpreting.

Were they serious? He had to be mistaken, there was no way in hell, no way on earth, no way under the grace of Buddha himself that these two meant to...

Aiko dropped her clothes and Miroku forgot to breathe when Zumi moved in on him, gently pressing him back on the bed. Her breath tickled in his ears, her hands keeping him still as Aiko moved across his lap and started to pull up his robes.

"Just relax, little monk," Zumi whispered, her tongue tracing his jaw line. "We will be as gentle as inuyoukai can be, but you will have to agree that we will not be easily satisfied."

_Gods above_, he thought, his head spinning as demon lips closed over his and another demon's mouth was heading for more responsive territory. He closed his eyes, silently thanking Buddha for giving him mercy.

Buddha had better give him strength because even a holy man knew when he was in trouble and it looked to be a very long night indeed.

oOo

Jano was sleeping, his face pressed into the bed and one arm flung over the side. He'd gotten to bed quite late and he was desperately looking forward to a chance to catch up on his sleep. It was exhausting keeping this place in order sometimes, one thing after another had risen to his attention over the evening and when he'd finally been free to return to his quarters, he'd barely had the strength left to strip off his armor and the loose shirt he wore under it before flopping onto his face and closing his eyes.

So when he heard the sound of someone knocking on his door, he screwed his eyes shut even tighter and decided to ignore it.

"Jano! I know you can hear me!"

_Damn her to a thousand hells_, he thought crankily, shoving his face harder into the mattress. Whatever Makiko thought was important enough to wake him for couldn't be worth abandoning this sweet unconsciousness.

"Wake up, damn your lazy ass!"

_You bitch_, Jano fumed, rolling over and prying his eyelids open. _Can't you manage a couple hours without howling at me?_ His gaze automatically went to the window; a scowl setting over his face when he realized it was still mostly dark outside. That meant that he'd been asleep barely an hour.

It was not his responsibility to handle every household set-to personally, what the fuck was the captain of the guard for? What the fuck did he train these fools to do if not keep order and security for five minutes while a man got his sleep? They wouldn't dare howl down Sessh's door over stupid squabbles and disputes. Wasn't that Makiko's job anyway?

"If you don't get up, I'm going to break the door down!"

He sat up, glaring at the door and half hoping she'd try it, just so he could have the satisfaction of watching her pick splinters out of her claws. Angrily, he pulled himself off the bed, throwing back his long, unbound hair. Jano stormed over to the door, hissing as he made his way across the room.

"Something had fucking better be on fire," he snarled.

Makiko shoved her way into his room as soon as he opened the door, spinning around and glaring at him dramatically with her arms folded tight over her breasts. "We have a problem," she said in a low, urgent tone.

"Yeah?" He rubbed his face, trying to clear the tiredness away so he could think. "What is it?"

"Kagome is missing."

"Kagome?" he asked, honestly not understanding whom she meant. Then he remembered the human girl's name and stared at Makiko in confusion. "What do you mean by missing? Where'd she go?"

"If I knew that she wouldn't be missing," Makiko snapped back. Gods, he was such an idiot, even half asleep he should make more sense.

"I've got a hysterical kitsune pup on my hands," she said, her eyes fixing on him accusingly. "He woke up a half hour ago and ran right into the hall, screaming that Kagome was missing. I guess she must have left him at some point, but she never went back to her room."

"You woke me up over that?" Jano demanded. Of all the stupid, ridiculous... "I can't believe you got me out of a sound sleep because Shippou had a panic attack. Did you even look for that girl before you came stomping up here?"

Makiko's eyes flashed. "Those humans are your responsibility," she hissed, poking him in his bare chest with a sharp claw. "I thought you'd want to know that she didn't spend the night in her room."

He yawned, already thinking of going back to bed. "Don't worry about it," he growled, starting to grin to himself as he recalled the last time he'd seen Kagome. She didn't go back to her room, which meant she'd spent the night somewhere else.

_Good girl_, he thought with approval.

"You aren't in the least concerned?" Makiko asked, dropping her anger and annoyance. "Jano, that girl could be anywhere. She could be in trouble and we need to find out where she is!"

"Did you check Inuyasha's rooms?" Jano asked sweetly, enjoying the confused look on her face.

"No," she confessed. "That puppy will go berserk when he finds out she's missing. I wanted a chance to find her before we had to tell him. Shippou wanted to go to him, but I managed to talk him into going to see Kohaku instead. Hopefully the boy has calmed him by now...why do you think she'd be in Inuyasha's rooms?"

"Because that's where I sent her," Jano answered, grinning widely. "If she didn't go back to her own bed last night, I guess she got a better offer from the hanyou."

Makiko looked lost, for someone usually on top of things, she was remarkably dim at the moment. "You sent her? I don't understand."

Briefly, he outlined the conversation he'd had with Kagome the night before, looking pleased with himself that his little game had turned out to be successful. At least he assumed it was successful, not his fault if the puppy had been too dense to figure out what the girl wanted. After all, what could he do but give her a shove in the right direction? Better than sniveling to herself all night over what she thought was going on when it wasn't going on at all.

He was just getting to the part where he'd left the girl standing in front of Inuyasha's door when Makiko suddenly pulled back and hit him hard across the face with her open hand.

"You lecherous bastard!" Makiko swung again, this time he saw it coming and ducked away before she could pop him in the jaw. The woman's face was a mask of anger as she backed him across the room until he hit the wall. "Jano, you are an immoral pig!"

"What?" he demanded, still ducking her angry blows. "I didn't do anything, I just pointed her in the right direction!"

"You're still a pig and you know why!"

He caught her fist in his hand and glared at her. "Look, I know you think you rule this household with an iron fist, but it's not your damn business if they spent the night together. Don't get up my ass over what's not your problem in the first place!"

"That's not the point," she snarled, fury burning in her eyes. "You tried to seduce that child!"

He gaped at her. "I did not, I just wanted to shake her up a little."

Makiko growled, outright growled at him, her claws flexing as if she wanted to rip him to shreds. It was really kind of sexy, he had to admit. He had better sense than to say that though and watched her suspiciously as she made a visible effort to hold back her rage.

"Don't lie to me, Jano," she said in a tight voice. "I know you better than that. You tried to get that girl, that child really, into bed. I can tell you're lying, so don't tell me that you weren't trying to lay her and she rejected you!"

"You are barking insane," he snapped, shaking a finger at her. She batted his hand away, her face rosy with indignation. Jano was a little insulted, surely she didn't think he'd stoop that low over a human girl. He'd already learned the hard way that he should leave them be whenever possible.

"Makiko," he said evenly, "you're way out of line here. I never put so much as a claw on her." Well, not a claw, a tongue didn't count as a claw so he wasn't lying. And he just did it to prod her, to see what she'd do. He wouldn't have followed through even if she had responded to his casual advances.

It was just to get her confidence up so she'd have the nerve to do what she wanted. He'd seen enough of their interaction to understand that Kagome was painfully in love with that stupid hanyou. He'd also that Inuyasha was clueless about it, even if he did want her as any sane demon would.

Hell, he wouldn't have minded taking her himself if the situation had been different. Kagome was an appealing little creature in a lot of ways, but did Makiko think he'd go that far just for a quick rut?

Makiko did, he could tell already. Her angry gaze, the narrowed eyes and thinning lips. The delicate flush of anger on her cheeks and neck. He sighed.

"Honestly, Makiko. I didn't try anything."

She scowled. "You can't blame me for thinking it," she muttered, shooting daggers at him. "With your reputation with females, I wouldn't have been surprised you'd do something like that."

Now he was pissed, he didn't deserve her scorn like this. Not by a long shot. "You should know better than to listen to gossip."

"It's not gossip when it's the truth," Makiko answered, smugly superior. "I'm not the one who's the talk of the household guard."

"No, the rumors about you are completely different," he said, hoping his snide tone would wipe that condescending look off her face. He knew his reputation, not entirely undeserved, more like the holdover from a very well misspent youth.

Damn it, she should give him some credit for being able to control himself.

"What rumors?" Makiko looked annoyed. "You're lying about that, I can always tell when you're lying. No one has the least possible, remotest reason to gossip about my personal life. I have a sense of discretion and dignity, unlike you and those other horny hounds!"

"Exactly my point," Jano hissed. "What they say about you is the absolute truth!"

Makiko blinked at him. "What do you mean? What did they say?"

He grinned wickedly. "That you are in dire need of being bent over and fucked hard."

"Y…you…bastard!" She was sputtering, incoherent with fury

"It's the damn truth," he snapped back, liking the way her eyes glittered. Damn the woman for being such an uptight cold bitch anyway.

"So I need bent over and fucked hard," she said sarcastically, letting venom seep into her tone. "And I suppose you're just the one to do it, Jano?"

He spread his hands helplessly, unable to keep the smirk out of his voice. "Is that a request?" he taunted her.

"Fine," Makiko hissed. "If that's the only way to get you to leave me alone, we'll do just that."

Jano stared at her as she started struggling out of her prim and plain yukata. Frankly, he was shocked, he'd expected her to storm out of his room in anger or disgust, not strip down to her bare skin and challenge him to lay her right there.

Finally, she dropped everything and stepped out of her clothes, stubbornly angry and naked before him. "So what's it going to be, Jano?" she asked, her eyes dark and unreadable. "You want me on my knees or up against the wall? Your choice."

Wordless, he didn't know what to do for a minute. She had him frozen to the floor both by her words and her insane actions. Not to mention that she was every bit as beautiful as he'd thought. Her skin was pale as milk, her breasts high and firm, tipped with deep rosy nipples that were standing to attention like a pair of honor guards on display.

He raked his eyes over her, ignoring the faint flush of embarrassment that wanted to creep over her cheeks as he drank in her body with his eyes. The long slender legs he wanted to wrap around his waist, the dark nest of curls where they joined. She had him in awe and Jano thought for a minute he was going to just die from the pressure of wanting her so much.

Instead, he willed his feet to move, advancing on her like a predator in the forest. Makiko's chin rose defiantly, unwilling to submit as ever. Her lips parted and he watched as the tip of her tongue darted out to lick at them, anticipating.

Jano growled harshly as he pulled her up against him and crushed her lips with his own, feeling her startled surprise before matching him with an aggressive response. Her chest pressed into his, skin against skin as he held her tight, devouring her lips, his tongue invading her mouth to attack hers, grinding her against him like he'd never be able to let go of her.

Desire flooded her, pooling between her legs like liquid heat. Her body was suddenly on fire and Makiko was shocked by the overwhelming effect he had on her senses. She rocked her hips against his, snarling in the back of her throat and trying to nip at his tongue. It was like she was drowning in his kiss.

She honestly couldn't breathe and broke away from him with a gasp. Jano pulled her to him, barely letting her keep her feet. She wanted him now, the argument didn't matter anymore, and she wanted to feel him like she'd never wanted another lover before.

So she was in shock when he suddenly yanked away, reached for the door and shoved her hard out into the hall. Still panting and breathless, she stared at him in bewilderment.

Jano didn't know where he'd gotten the strength to push her away when every part of his body was on fire for her, had been for bloody years, but she'd always rebuffed him. Sometimes seriously, sometimes snidely, but she'd always pushed him away until now. Now that she was willing, he found it wasn't going to be enough.

He raised his eyes to her startled gaze and tried to grin, but found he'd never felt less like smiling in his life.

Instead his voice was harsh, rasping in his throat. "It's gone too far between us, Makiko. As badly as I think you need a good hard rut and I plan on being the one to give it to you, it won't be like this. I'm not going to fuck you just to get it out of the way. We'd hate each other for it later.

"That's why I must decline your offer."

She jumped when he shut the door in her face, flinching almost, shocked and mortified. How dare he turn her down after all these years? How many times had he asked her, how many times had she pushed him away? It wasn't fair, not now that he'd made her want him! She realized she was standing stark naked in the passage then and fury filled her.

"Jano, you son of a bitch, give me back my clothes!"

The door yanked open suddenly and Makiko was hit in the face by a wad of fabric before the door slammed shut again. Her hands shaking, she pulled her yukata over her shoulders and started to hurry down the hall before anyone saw her so disheveled. Oh, he was going to pay for this!

Inside his room, Jano had leaned against the door, slowly sliding down until he reached the floor. He was an idiot and hit the door with the back of his skull to distract himself from the overwhelming stupidity of his actions.

He had turned her down.

He hoped to hell it was going to be worth it someday.


	23. TwentyThree

_**Chapter TwentyThree**_

Kagome's eyes opened slowly, unsure of where she was. She was very warm and something heavy was on top of her, holding her down. She realized with a start that it was Inuyasha, somehow they'd moved from the floor to the bed and he was lying with an arm and a leg spread across her, his hair covering her face. She blinked for a moment, letting the memories of last night wash over her and reached up to brush the silky strands away from her eyes so she could see him.

Sleeping, he looked so unguarded and almost angelic, which brought a slight smile to her face when she realized what he'd have to say if she ever described him in such a way. She wanted to reach out and touch his face, brush his hair back from his eyes, but she didn't want to wake him when he looked so relaxed and comfortable.

Unfortunately, she was getting less comfortable by the moment, a pressure building just below her navel that meant she needed to get out of this bed and find the bathroom. She tried wiggling out from under him first; not wanting to jostle or disturb him but to her surprise the hanyou growled softly in his sleep and clutched her tight against him. She blushed, feeling his skin next to hers, and realized that she had about as much chance of struggling out of his hold as she did sprouting wings and flying back to Tokyo.

However, she had to do something before she embarrassed them both and the need to relieve herself was becoming urgent. Kagome nudged him, using her hands to pry at his arms.

"Inuyasha?" she called softly, hoping he wasn't so deeply asleep that he wouldn't hear her.

She needn't have worried, watching one of his ears twitch at the sound of her voice. He yawned, stretching slightly, still holding her possessively as he woke. His golden eyes opened to fasten on hers, a slightly goofy smile on his face when he realized they were still together in bed.

"Hello," he said softly, nuzzling her face.

"Hello yourself," she grinned. His expression was all lazy pleasure as he snuggled against her. Kagome was happy for that, she'd been worried that he'd tell her they made a mistake and she didn't know how she'd be able to deal with that. What she hadn't been expecting was her own uneasiness as his hands started to caress her lightly.

It was stupid, they'd already been together, but now she felt embarrassed by her nakedness and swallowed nervously as Inuyasha got closer, rumbling in her ear as he started to lick and kiss her affectionately around her throat. She could feel his arousal growing against her side as he grew more intent in his attentions, more aggressive as he pulled her closer and rolled on top of her.

Kagome's heart was pounding in her chest as Inuyasha started to kiss her, cupping his hands on either side of her face, slipping his tongue between her lips insistently. Kagome opened her mouth obediently, her thoughts racing wildly in her mind. What was wrong with her, why did she suddenly want to run away and hide? This was Inuyasha, the person she loved, had loved forever now it seemed. Why was her body not responding, why did she feel so scared and embarrassed when he touched her?

Finally, she couldn't deal with her traitorous emotions and pulled her face away from him.

"Um, I gotta go," she mumbled.

She saw confusion in his eyes and thwarted desire. "Go," he asked, frowning at her. "Go where?"

Kagome blushed. "Go to the...I need to pee."

His ears pricked up with understanding. "Oh," he grinned, easing off her.

Kagome blushed, knowing he was watching her as she got out of the bed and fumbled for her clothes. She didn't dare turn back to look at him, knowing she'd lose what composure she had. After relieving herself, she started to pull on her clothes, cursing herself and wishing she knew why she felt so strange.

_Is this how everybody feels after the first time_, she wondered, trying to sort out her feelings about being a retired virgin. Does everyone feel this awkward, even with the person they love? It didn't seem fair, not by a long shot, but she sighed and washed her face, feeling a little better after splashing some cool water on her cheeks.

_You're just being stupid_, she scolded herself.

Inuyasha noticed Kagome's strange behavior and wondered about it. She seemed uneasy and embarrassed about something and he couldn't think what. He decided to get dressed himself, see if they could get past the awkwardness if they weren't under the pressure of being naked together. He deeply hoped it wasn't regret he was seeing in her eyes. Whatever else had happened, he didn't think there was any way he could pretend they hadn't been together.

No fucking way, that would be a huge mistake, to think they could take it back a step and pretend that they'd never done what they'd both been longing for. He licked his lips, he could still taste her, still smell her body all over him. No. He could not forget what had happened and he had every intention of making sure that she couldn't forget it either.

Kagome came out of the bathroom then and met his eyes with a tremulous smile. He could smell her nervousness, anxiety. Inuyasha was determined to make it go away and didn't say anything, just held out his hand to her, silently asking for her acceptance without pressure and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and felt his warm hand close around her fingers and knew that on some level he understood.

oOo

Makiko was still fuming, even though the incident had taken place several hours earlier. She hadn't quite decided exactly what manner of death Jano deserved, but she was enjoying thinking about the possibilities. Damn him anyway, how dare he? What did that evil excuse for a demon want from her? First he'd nagged her for years about going to bed with him, sometimes seriously, most of the time in a teasing tone she'd found easy to disregard.

For the most part, she enjoyed putting him in his place. His cocky brand of confidence had chafed at her from the first time she'd met him. Of course, she reflected, she didn't know a single inuyoukai male who didn't have that attitude to some degree or another, but for some reason, it was worse with him. Jano got on her nerves.

It had been like that since she'd come to the fortress as a very young woman. Makiko and Aiko had been born in a small inuyoukai village just barely within Sesshomaru-sama's territory. When their parents had been slain in a raid by some marauding demons, Makiko had been the one to decide that they should leave their home.

Responsible for her young sister, Makiko felt that the security of the fortress would be the better place for two parentless females to make a life. She'd simply found the current head of staff for the fortress' household servants and asked for work for her and her young sister. They'd been assigned to the kitchen, under the watchful eye of the head chef, Masae.

Makiko quickly found herself Masae's favorite and learned everything she could about running the kitchen and more than she wanted to know about the complexities of fortress life. She also learned which lords to avoid at all costs, which had tastes that included young serving girls.

Also she learned who to respect and who to never listen to. Masae had the habit of talking constantly as she worked, Makiko often spending the day in silence, simply absorbing the woman's observations. She found herself agreeing with Masae's assessments more often than not, how this guard was a fool for sleeping on duty, how that member of the cleaning staff had a bad habit of cutting corners.

One person that Masae seemed to have no lack of respect for was Sesshomaru-sama and also the young lord's recently deceased father, Inutaisho. The head chef seemed to become a bit misty eyed whenever she spoke of the Daimyo, but her voice had nothing but pride for what his son had accomplished. The Daimyo's unexpected death had thrown the territories into violent conflict, a vicious state of inuyoukai civil war.

Makiko listened to Masae's rambling about those dark and frightening days, the sieges, the slaughters, and the brutalities that dog demons were capable of inflicting upon each other. Somehow, the Daimyo's son had been able to hold his territory together, drive off those who attacked him, build alliances where none had existed before.

It took five or six long years of bloodshed, but Sesshomaru-sama had proven himself against those who sought to tear him down and also proved that he was nothing less than Inutaisho's son. Those who forgot that detail would pay for their folly with their lives and the lives of their kin.

But the war had hardened the young lord, Masae regretted that. Hardened like the tempering of steel for the finest swords, but bitter like a poison on the tongue. Makiko learned to listen closely to what Masae told her, at first thinking that the older woman simply meant for her to be a willing set of ears for her remembrances.

Makiko still worked hard to gain the head chef's respect. Neither Masae nor the head of staff missed her dedication and drive. Masae was old, even by inuyoukai standards she was growing weak and no longer had love for her work. For some time she had sought her replacement and found it in a slip of a dark haired girl, a serious young wench, but honest and capable and possessing the kind of temperament that made others want to listen and follow her lead.

That had been about the first time she'd encountered Jano, or at least the first time that he'd noticed her. She knew him as the current lord's bodyguard, one of a pair, other being a fiery half-kitsune female by the name of Namichi. He had a reputation for being very good at his work and an equal reputation for having an eye for lovely females.

That, of course, mattered nothing to Makiko. She was hardly interested in attracting attention from males.

Unlike the spoiled nobles who lived within these walls as members of the court, she had work to do. She was astounded and humbled that Masae had chosen her, an orphaned young youkai of no particular bloodline, to take over the daunting task of running the household's kitchen.

Masae brushed aside her concerns with a wave of her hand. "I like you, girl," she said, holding the younger female's chin in her hand. "You know how to get things done."

Getting things done around the fortress was a full time job and Makiko was delighted to apply herself to her work with vigor. She was determined that her kitchen would be every bit as efficient and clean as Masae's, not wanting to embarrass her mentor with not living up to her expectations.

It had been very late one night when Makiko was earnestly going over Masae's records. She sat alone at one of the great hearths, poring over complex recipes and wondering about her stock of spices. Should she tell the head of staff that more were needed, or work around with her own variations? As head chef, it was up to her discretion what was put on the fortress' tables, most of the guard and staff had plain tastes, but now and then a court noble or visiting clanlord would make some exotic request and Makiko had no intention of being caught unprepared.

She honestly didn't realize how late it was when she'd seen him come walking into her kitchen. The good-looking bodyguard flashed her a smile as he made for the night hearth where a simple yet savory stew was always kept simmering. Makiko immediately jumped to her feet to serve him, but Jano just waved her casually to her seat as he helped himself.

"Don't get up for me, girl," he said, grinning insolently at her. "I can take care of myself."

She didn't sit back down, but she did bow politely. "Please, Jano-san. It's my job to serve you."

His dark eyes flicked over her. "Really? You don't look old enough to be left her by your lonesome. You should tell that new head chef that even serving girls deserve their off time."

Makiko flushed, realizing he didn't know she was the new head chef and didn't want to embarrass the lord's personal bodyguard by pointing out his error. "It's no trouble at all, sir."

That made him smile as he settled on the hearth ledge to eat. "All right," he said finally. "I wouldn't mind something to drink, if you have it. I just got back from a really long assignment and I was seriously thinking of eating my armor a couple times before I got in."

She smiled faintly at his humorous comment and quickly poured him a cup of rice wine. Jano accepted it, his hand lingering briefly on hers and making her blush. He was quite attractive, mischief dancing in his eyes as he looked at her.

"I don't think I've seen you here before," he drawled. "Are you new?

"No," she said, smiling shyly back at him. "I've been here for some time."

Jano chuckled, sipping at his drink. "I find that hard to believe, I thought I knew every beautiful girl in this fortress."

Her cheeks colored dramatically at his comment and Makiko ducked away. Jano shook his head at such shyness, enjoying the game of drawing her out. "They must have been keeping you hidden from me," he teased, reaching out to touch her arm with a light finger.

"Maybe you just weren't looking," she countered, her eyes lighting in pleasure.

He liked her, he already knew that much. The pretty girl had a spirit behind that shyness, not to mention a lovely figure. "I'm looking now," he said softly, catching her hand and pressing lightly on her fingers. "What is your name?"

"Makiko," she answered, wondering if he'd recognize the name as being that of Masae's replacement. She didn't know how much attention a lord's bodyguard would pay to the changes in the household staff or the going-ones of the kitchen. Surely it wouldn't be worth his attention, his time being occupied by his lord's serious orders. And Sesshomaru-sama was a very serious minded lord. She suddenly realized that she was flirting with him and remembered her position and her duties.

"It has been a pleasure speaking with you, Jano-san," she told him in a formal tone. "I must return to my duties now and bid you good evening."

"Hey," he said, catching her hand again. "Where are you rushing off to, little Makiko? We were just getting to know each other."

She gently tugged her hand free of his and bowed politely. "I must go, sir."

Jano jumped up and followed her. "Oh come on," he said playfully. "It's late; you must be off duty soon. Even your head chef will understand if you take a few minutes for yourself. Trust me, she'll never know."

She turned and fixed him with a serious stare. "I will know."

Makiko was surprised when Jano suddenly reached out and caught her elbows, pulling her right up against him. He nuzzled her hair, enjoying the fresh scent of the girl.

"You're very pretty, little Makiko," he whispered in her ear. "If you're too busy for me now, can I see you later?"

She swallowed hard, her palms against his chest. Makiko blushed; his hands were starting to explore her curves, lightly tracing her hips with his fingers. "Please, Jano-san, this is not appropriate."

He gave her a dazzling smile, bringing a hand up to tilt her head back. "How about just a kiss goodnight then? Surely that wouldn't be too inappropriate for you, sweetness?"

The girl bristled suddenly at his condescending tone, as if she couldn't say no to him, as if she wouldn't dream of it. Makiko didn't have any intentions of becoming someone's plaything. She had a position and a home for her sister to protect and she wasn't going to compromise it. "Let me go!"

He laughed. "Certainly, the price is one kiss."

Makiko twisted suddenly, angry now, and slapped him hard. "Damn you!"

He caught her by the wrists, having fun now, having hardly felt the slap. She was feisty and spirited, that was something he couldn't resist. He had no intention of hurting the girl, not being the kind of demon who would force a woman, but she was such a temptation. Anger had brought her scent to an intoxicating sweetness, her sparkle in her eyes irresistible.

"You're gorgeous when you're mad, Makiko. Didn't anyone ever tell you that? Come on, you might just enjoy a kiss from me."

_The conceited pig_, she thought furiously, twisting her wrists to try and break his hold. He held her lightly, not hurting her a bit, but not letting go either. Makiko snarled, showing her fangs.

"If you try to kiss me I'll tear your tongue out of your mouth!"

"I'm willing to risk it," he said dryly, moving in for a taste of the deliciously angry woman.

"Jano, haven't you got anything better to do?"

He glanced over, grinning at Namichi as she gave him a disapproving scowl. His partner looked annoyed, but she knew him well enough to understand the girl was in no danger.

"I can't think of anything better to do," he replied lightly.

Namichi snorted, stalking over to him. "I think you should let her go, the head of staff will be most unhappy to hear that you're harassing the new head chef. I'm sure she'll complain to Sessh about it."

"She's the new head chef?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Well, that was interesting; he surely thought he would have heard about it if the new ruler of the kitchen were a female this delicious.

Makiko scowled, fed up with the whole situation, especially now that there was a witness. She jumped against him and brought her knee up to deliver a stinging blow to his midsection. That wasn't where she'd been aiming but it had the desired effect. Jano's hold loosened suddenly with a quick gasp of pain, she twisted her hands free and hit him as hard as she could right in the mouth.

"Bastard!"

Namichi bent over double, tears of laughter sparkling in her copper eyes. "That was beautiful, Makiko!"

Jano glared at her, wiping a bit of blood off his lip as Makiko stalked away. "Aren't you supposed to be my partner, Namichi? You're supposed to be on my side!"

She giggled, going from imposing bodyguard clad in black armor to a mischievous girl in the blink of an eye. "Not when you deserve what you get!" Her grin widened considerably. "How does it feel to meet a woman you can't charm, idiot?"

Jano ignored her taunts to bow lightly to Makiko. "Another time, sweetness. I've got to go put some ice on my pride."

"She didn't hit you there!" Namichi called out happily, still chuckling to herself.

Makiko stared at her, remembering her place in the household. "Will he report me, Namichi-san?"

Namichi snickered. "I doubt it. Jano won't want everyone in the household to find out what an ass he just made of himself."

Makiko found herself smiling, liking Jano's partner more and more by the minute. Namichi had a reputation for having a full blood inuyoukai temper, as well as a dog demon's tenacity in battle, but Makiko found it hard to believe at the moment.

The diminutive woman had dancing copper eyes and freckles, her hair just the color of her eyes hung down her back in a long braid, coming out of its restrictions by curling defiantly around her cheeks and forehead. She knew Namichi to be half kitsune, but no one would have ever dared call her adorable to her face.

"Thank you for assistance, Namichi-san," Makiko said.

"Call me Nami, everybody does," the woman answered with an airy wave of her hand. "And you don't have to thank me, that look on Jano's face will be thanks enough. I think it's good for him to learn how to take rejection, builds character and he thinks he's too sly as it is."

Remembering that, Makiko had to smile. She still missed Namichi; the woman had become a fast friend from that day to the time of her death. Sly huh? Makiko's grin became a touch bloodthirsty.

"Jano," she murmured, going back to her duties with a satisfied expression. "In Namichi's name, I think you are in need of more character building moments."

oOo

Sango stirred, a delicious sensation washing over her. She came awake slowly as light kisses were being carefully placed on her shoulders, moving down her backbone in a soft trail of affection.

_Awake already, is he_, she thought, stretching sensuously.

One facet of youkai nature that she hadn't been educated in was how absolutely insatiable they were when it came to lovemaking. Sesshomaru was an amazingly gentle lover, deft and considerate, playing her nerves like a fine instrument; coaxing levels of response and passion from her body she never could have dreamed were possible.

Sango suppressed a sense of amusement as his fingertips wandered over her thigh. Exhausting as being loved like this could be, she found herself ready for him as ever, delighting in that light touch, the smooth firm muscles of his body pressing against hers.

She caught her breath as he continued to worship her back, feeling the tip of his tongue tracing her scar over and over. The sensitive skin tickled under his attention. She normally didn't like having her mind called to the scar's existence, and she preferred to forget about the wound her younger brother had dealt her. Sesshomaru had a fascination with it though, probably because youkai didn't scar themselves.

As he continued to lap at the old injury, she intertwined his fingers with hers. "Why do you do that?" she whispered.

His voice was equally soft and serious. "If I could take away every bit of pain you've felt, I would do so. I want to make this mark a source of pleasurable memories for you, instead of only a reminder of pain and death."

"You don't find it...ugly?" she asked hesitantly. The scar wasn't pretty; that much she knew from what Kagome had told her.

"Nothing about you could be ugly," Sesshomaru said in a soft, passionate voice. "Even this is a mark of beauty, for you survived what should have killed you. It's a memento of what you've suffered, endured, and conquered. It is precious to me, for if you didn't have the scar, you would have died of the wound instead and fate would not have brought to you to me. For that, I cherish it."

Sango bit back a sob, suddenly flooded with adoration for him. Who would have ever thought Sesshomaru to be capable of saying such things? Who would have dared believe he'd ever want to? She lifted her chin to face him as he leaned over her shoulder, still positioned behind her, their bodies cupped together, every curve fitting as if her form had been made exclusively for his. He lowered his mouth to hers for a kiss, his hair falling silkily over her bare shoulder and his hand caressing her hip as he found her, sliding effortlessly into her, her body as always a welcome refuge that accepted him.

She cried out, clutching at his hand as he started to move, the slow, gentle strokes every bit as maddening as ever, the unhurried, deliberate way he enjoyed her body. Sango pushed back at him, urging him to a faster rhythm with her need. He complied, resting his forehead against her shoulder as he acquiesced to her demands.

Under his hand, he could feel the rush of her blood against his fingertips, the passion building in her lithe form, finally reaching a nerve-shattering quake of desire, Sango reaching for him wildly as she called out to him. Sesshomaru's arm held her tight, welding their bodies together, him gasping hotly in her ear, blinded by the flood of pleasure rushing in their bodies.

After a few moments of silence and recovery, Sango stirred to bring his hand to her cheek. Her pulse was still racing, but a wonderful lassitude had enveloped her in a warm cocoon. She kissed his palm, turning his hand over to look at it, pale against her warm honey skin. The fingers were long and delicate, beautiful and elegant as was everything about the youkai she loved. At the end of each finger was a sharp claw completing the graceful line of his hand. She had no reason to fear these claws, unlike those of the many demons she'd encountered and fought. She slipped the tip of his finger in her mouth, gently suckling at it.

His body started to shake in silent laughter and Sango twisted to look over her shoulder at his face. "What's so funny?"

He was grinning, looking more boyish than she'd ever seen him, an amused and unguarded expression that he'd never show the world, only her. "Aren't you ever satisfied, woman?"

Sango blushed for a moment and met his gaze. "You're one to talk, you woke me out of a deep sleep."

Sesshomaru yawned, moving his hand to play with her hair now that she'd released his finger. "I did not hear you protest."

She rolled on her back, staying safely under his arm as he held her gently. Again her attention was drawn to his hand, pulling it out of her dark hair to hold it up for close examination.

"I've always wanted to ask you," she murmured, her fingers caressing his wrist. "How do you do that energy whip I've seen you use?"

"I have unusually good control of my youki," he answered, watching her eyes. "Most youkai have some kind of energy they can use for self defense or battle. As a daiyoukai, not only is mine stronger than usual, I have a better sense of control and can use it as I will."

Sango thought about it, turning his words over in her mind. She'd seen Inuyasha use his youki, mainly as an extension of his natural claws in strikes and blows during a fight. It made sense that Sesshomaru could do the same thing, only his was with a finer control instead of using the energy solely to strike with his claws.

"Was it difficult to learn how to control?"

As a demon exterminator, he imagined she was professionally interested in such thing. "It took years of my father's not so patient teaching, but eventually it did come to me all at once, as he'd predicted. I can use my energy how I please, either dispersed in a corrosive mist or as weapon like the whip you've already seen."

She reached out and traced his lip with her finger, admiring as always the perfection of the way his features were put together. "It seems a shame that it is only used for battle, can you do anything else with such a fine control?"

Sesshomaru frowned slight, sitting up in bed and gently urging her to do the same. What he was about to do he had not attempted in years. There had been no reason and quite honestly, he wasn't sure he'd even be successful. Sango had a point about youki only being used for destructive purposes. His father would have agreed with her about it being a shame to do so, which was why he'd drilled his son in other ways to demonstrate his skill.

Concentrating, he extended his hand to the nearest stone wall, his fingers tracing the design in the air even as he released a burst of brilliant green fire.

Sango jumped without meaning to, seeing the energy flare brightly from his fingertips and sizzle as it struck the wall. When the air cleared a bit, she could see a design traced lightly into the stone, etched as if by a craftsman.

"Sesshomaru," she breathed. "It's beautiful."

"It's a lotus blossom," he said matter of factly, pleased that his skills had not deteriorated. A wry smile crossed his lips as he regarded his mate. "My father taught it to me, you should know by now that even demons appreciate things of loveliness."


	24. TwentyFour

Chapter TwentyFour

Kohaku leaned his head on his fist, one hand playing absently with his breakfast. Shippou and Rin were with him and he was starting to be suspicious of the fact that he had been left alone with the two younger children. The kitsune had been complaining that he'd woken up all by his lonesome early in the morning; no Kagome and then he'd been soundly shushed by Makiko. The head of staff had simply shoved him into Kohaku's room before the human could say two words about it.

Eventually, he'd managed to ignore Shippou's babbling and get back to sleep. That was exactly when Rin had burst in; deeply upset that Sesshomaru-sama's personal servants refused to allow her in his rooms. She wasn't quite brave enough to try and bother the demon lord while he was sleeping, but this was the first time that she'd been flatly denied access to the outer apartments.

"It's not fair, Kohaku-kun," the little girl said petulantly. "They've never kept me out before!"

"Maybe you shouldn't pry," the older boy said, still picking at his food. He wasn't hungry, usually he woke up starving and ready for a big savory meal from the kitchen, but today he just wasn't interested.

A strange feeling of melancholy was settling over him and Kohaku wasn't sure what was causing it. He felt healthy enough, no fever, no weakness. It was his mind that felt woolly, stuffy and distracted. Maybe it was just lack of sleep from having a hyper kitsune roommate last night.

Rin poked him to get his attention. "You aren't listening," she accused.

The boy yawned, watching Shippou stuff his face until his eyes were bulging. He didn't know fox demons could eat that much. "I am listening, Rin," he said mildly. "You were complaining."

The girl still looked pouty over being denied access to her favorite person. "I'm not complaining," she said in a sulky tone. "I don't see why I can't go in there, I went in last night and Sesshomaru-sama was letting Sango stay with him, but not Rin."

Shippou belched and earned a glare from the young girl. He grinned, wiping his face. "That's because Sesshomaru really likes Sango, he even..."

Kohaku reached over and clamped his hands on Rin's ears. "Hey!" she squealed.

"Watch what you say, Shippou! She's just a little kid."

The fox demon stared at him. "So? Why is it a secret?"

Rin had pried his fingers off her ears. "What's the secret?" she asked excitedly. "Is it about Rin?"

"No," Kohaku and Shippou answered, exchanging grins.

Now Rin was getting annoyed with the two boys. "Tell me!"

Shippou shook his head, having fun teasing the young girl. "You're too young," he said loftily, feeling superior and privy to adult affairs.

Rin slammed her hand down on the table, making the two boys jump and looking remarkably like Makiko when the youkai female was in an angry mood. "Why won't you tell me?"

"Because it's obviously none of your business, Rin," Makiko said acidly from the doorway. She glared at the youngsters and Kohaku could tell that she was in a particularly foul mood. He thought he'd like to know why, but he didn't dare ask. Instead he just smiled faintly and told her good morning.

Makiko scowled at him. "You don't look well, Kohaku. Are you feeling ill?"

He should have expected she'd notice. "I'm fine," he answered truthfully. "I don't feel sick, I just feel a little tired this morning."

Nothing would do but to have her feel his forehead and look at his eyes. Kohaku sat passively, ignoring Shippou and Rin's interested gazes. He did get tired of being treated like an invalid. Finally Makiko was satisfied that he wasn't concealing a deadly illness and walked away, muttering darkly about Hisuni getting off too easy and if it had been up to her, things around here would be much different.

"She's in a really bad mood," Rin commented, leaning on her elbows and forgetting about the previous argument. "I bet Jano did something to make her mad, he always makes her mad."

Shippou didn't care one way or the other about irritable female demons who were used to not being questioned. He was bored. They'd been here for three days and he was so bored it was going to kill him.

"Let's go outside," he begged.

"Don't you want to wait for Kagome?" Kohaku asked. He had noticed that none of Shippou's friends were early risers today. Usually Miroku and Kagome joined them by now for breakfast.

Shippou flushed bright red and ducked his head. "No," he said slowly. "I'm not sure when she's going to come down."

Kohaku scratched his head. "You were sure upset last night, Shippou. I thought you were going to scream the building down when you couldn't find her."

"Is Kagome missing?" Rin asked, wrinkling her forehead. She really liked the human girl who had pretty much adopted the kitsune orphan. Nothing bad could possibly happen to her in the fortress. Sesshomaru-sama simply wouldn't allow it. Still, the nervous look on Shippou's face had her curious.

"Do you want me to help look for her?" she asked.

The kitsune's face was burning with embarrassment. "I know where she is, I heard Jano talking to one of the guards. She's with Inuyasha."

"Then she's fine," Rin said brightly. Kohaku and Shippou exchanged glances and finally the older boy shrugged. "Then let's go outside."

oOo

Shiou looked nervous and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know, Aiko," he said, uneasy with the young woman's request. "I don't think me and Haru need any more trouble. We're already on Jano's short list after yesterday."

Aiko glared at him, folding her arms defiantly over her chest. "I'm not asking either of you to lie, I just want something said in the presence of the other guards."

This time it was Haru's turn to sigh. "Listen, girl. If you want to start a rumor, talk to the kitchen staff or the stewards. I don't want to get involved."

She shook her head. "No, Makiko was very specific about it. She wants the household guard to know first, that will make it to his ears faster."

Shiou spat on the floor and received an angry look from Aiko. "Someone has to clean that floor," she snapped in annoyance.

He ignored her comment. "Aiko, whatever little plot you're trying to hatch, I want no part. You do not mess with someone like Jano, you definitely don't fuck with his head."

The girl sighed loudly and turned away. "I didn't want to have to resort to blackmail, but you two give me no choice. Unless you do as I ask, a simple favor mind you, Makiko is going to tell the captain of the guard that she found you two asleep on duty."

Haru gaped at her. "That's a lie!"

Aiko's smile turned positively sweet. "She's also going to tell him it's not the first time...and that you were found in each other's arms."

Angry, Shiou reached out and grabbed the girl by her shoulder and spun her around. She hit him hard in the face and stepped back, her chin high and her eyes glittering. "Before you make any quick moves, think about this. Who do you think the captain of the guard will believe? The head of the household staff or two lazy degenerates who can't even keep a small pack of humans out of trouble?"

_Actually Makiko would do no such thing_, Aiko thought, watching their faces turn colors in amusement. Her sister would never stoop to tell lies about anyone, but in this case she thought these two needed an extra bit of prodding. She had been asked to drop a certain rumor into the fortress' common gossip and that was exactly what she aimed to do.

Aiko knew that the guard was as prone to talking amongst themselves as the maids or the stable hands and this rumor had to reach a certain pair of ears belonging to a certain cocky bodyguard. She smiled as she watched their expressions change from anger to consternation to resignation and at last, defeat.

"We'll do it," Shiou muttered, hating himself for giving in like this.

Haru grunted. "Yeah, but if he asks us, we're telling him exactly where we heard it."

Her smile grew even wider. "That's what Makiko is counting on."

oOo

"What the fuck happened to you?" Inuyasha burst out, almost choking on his breakfast. Kagome's face was pale as she stared at her friend, taking in his battered and weary appearance.

"Miroku," she squeaked. "Were you attacked?"

"You could say that," Miroku said wearily. He slowly lowered himself to a seat, wincing as bruises and contusions in intimate areas protested the movement. The monk's face was a mess; one side bore four long gouges, as if a set of claws had been raked from his cheek to his chest. His lower lip was split and swollen and a lovely bruise was forming under his left eye. In spite of his injuries, he had a faint smile on his face. He hadn't stopped smiling for hours, even when he'd passed out from sheer exhaustion, he'd kept a satisfied and grateful grin.

Sango looked closer and reached up to gently shift aside his clothing. Her mouth dropped open in surprise as she could see a ring of bite marks surrounding the monk's neck. Neat crescents of bruises, some with dried scabs from fanged puncture wounds adorned him like a rosary, trailing down his chest and under his robes. Her eyes flicked to his bare hand, she could see scratches there as well as what looked like rope burns on his wrist.

"Miroku," she breathed, her eyes flashing angrily. "This is awful, who attacked you?"

He sighed. "My dear Sango, I never kiss and tell."

"Kiss and…" she trailed off, realization dawning in her eyes. She met Kagome's shocked expression and the younger girl blushed hard. "You mean to tell me you let a youkai woman do this to you?"

"Two youkai women actually," he murmured, blowing on his tea to cool it. It stung his lips and even his tongue was sore from bite marks this morning. He would definitely need a few days to recover before trying anything like that again.

"Two women?" Inuyasha asked. The hanyou leaned forward, sniffing at Miroku, testing to see if the monk was just trying to have them on. His eyebrows raised in surprise even as a wicked smirk crossed his face.

"You ain't hardly bullshitting! I'm shocked you can even walk!"

Miroku nodded an acknowledgment of his friend's admiration. He felt he deserved the praise in more ways than one. The ladies had let him doze for a few hours after the first session, and then he'd been roughly shaken awake to go at it again. He was sore in places he hadn't even known he had, getting dressed alone had been an ordeal.

Apparently, Aiko and Zumi thought they'd done enough in letting him live, they hadn't stuck around to help him recover in any way.

_Still_, he thought fondly, _such wonderful, sweet girls they were_. If this was really how dog demons lived, he was seriously considering approaching Inuyasha's brother to see if there was any openings in his household for an itinerant Buddhist monk.

"Pervert," Sango muttered, unable to help herself from grinning. "You look like you enjoyed having the hell beaten out of you."

"Let's just say that I have finally been taught why I should keep my hands to myself," he commented in a mildly amused tone. "At least until I have a chance to heal."

Whatever Sango was about to say was interrupted when Makiko entered the room, carrying a steaming bowl of rice for her human and hanyou guests. "Pleasant morning," she said, setting down the bowl and starting to ladle out portions. "Did everyone rest well last night?"

Silence answered her and she looked around, her brow wrinkling slightly in confusion. Four blushing faces, four sets of averted eyes. She sniffed the air delicately, particularly noting the change in Kagome's scent and the way Inuyasha was looking anywhere but at her. Her grin widened when she took in Miroku's battered appearance and Makiko shook her head in amusement.

"Did anyone rest at all last night?" she drawled, taunting them. When no one answered, she gave a wicked smile at the monk. She reached over and turned his cheek with her finger, lightly touching the scratches.

"I believe I recognize these," she said. "Would you care for some salve to aid the healing? I did ask my sister to be careful, but I suppose the fact that you walked here on your own is proof that she kept her word."

"Your sister?" Kagome asked, finally looking up to meet the woman's gaze.

"Aiko did that to you?" Sango burst out, turning to Miroku. She was quite shocked, the gentle youkai girl who had assisted her with her bath that morning had been sporting a satisfied smile, but she'd never imagined this to be the reason why.

Miroku studied the ceiling. "The scratches are Zumi's," he said at last. "The bites were Aiko. Anything else I'm not quite sure of...the evening kind of blurred after a few hours."

oOo

As he walked outside, taking the long way around the main courtyard, Jano bent his head in contemplation. He hadn't been able to get what had happened with Makiko out of his mind. It ate at him, every time he closed his eyes and saw her, so beautiful and until recently, he'd thought completely unattainable.

Damn it, was he the biggest fool to ever walk the earth or what? A woman, no, the woman he'd been pursuing for literally decades had burst into his room, stripped naked as the day she was born and flat out dared him to have her.

_And what did I do_, Jano sneered to himself. _Tossed her out, turned her down, and shoved her out the fucking door_. _Over what_, he scratched his head in befuddlement.

Some kind of twisted sense of honor? Oh no, he wasn't about to start bullshitting himself about pretending to be noble. He'd lived many years and seen more than he cared to admit to, but he could still be honest with himself. What was it then, pride? After spending so much time and energy and effort trying to seduce the damnable woman, he wasn't about to let her get away with just a casual rut on the floor.

Jano winced, his thoughts had taken a decidedly erotic turn and now his mind was trying to punish him with visions of doing just that. Damn again, he could still smell her, that warm softness in his arms, that smooth delicate body. The way her pale skin had flushed deep rose when he'd kissed her, the exotic feel of her braided hair.

No other female he'd ever seen wore their hair like that; it was one of the first things that had captured his interest about Makiko. He wanted to know how it would feel to take a handful of it in his fist and hold her breathless against him while he...

He stopped and smacked himself hard in the head. "Snap out of it, fool," he muttered, gritting his teeth. He was just torturing himself for no reason, it was done, he couldn't go back in time and change his mind. He'd be lucky if she didn't gut him with one of her carving knives the next time she saw him.

He made a mental note to wear the heavier armor for a few days.

And to make sure his door was secure while he slept. And to also be sure he got his own food too, no way was he going to let any of her staff serve him so much as a plain bowl of rice. An experienced chef and healer knew way too much about herb lore, knew just the amounts of what compounds to feed him in order to keep him painfully, humiliatingly indisposed for weeks.

Jano was starting to worry, wondering if his imagination was getting away with him now. Surely even Makiko, especially Makiko, wouldn't be so angry or resentful that she'd even attempt to take his life? Jano shook his head and let out a long exhale of tension.

He'd better tell Sesshomaru to keep Tenseiga handy just in case.

No, he was being foolish and obsessing about her again. Jano firmly reminded himself that he was no pup to let himself get this upset or frazzled over a mere woman. It wasn't as if he didn't have his choice of lovers, he and Makiko had long had an understanding of sorts, an easy working relationship if nothing else.

Now with that thought firmly placed in his mind, he went to the wardroom next to the armory where the household guard drew weapons. His lord had asked that the patrols be doubled; something was definitely under Sesshomaru's skin. Jano didn't like mysteries either.

The entire fortress had been tense enough lately, now was no time to start being lax about security. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his legs taking him in long easy strides to his destination. He wondered how long the hanyou and his friends were actually planning on staying.

His lord's mate, of course, wasn't going anywhere.

He was almost certain she was pregnant. An inuyoukai's nose was his strongest sense in many ways, just because he didn't spend much time around human females didn't mean he could tell when one was with young, especially if that young was of daiyoukai blood. He would have to be a nose blind fool to not smell the signs, even this early in a pregnancy. In fact, he had smelled such a combination only once before.

Jano hadn't thought about her in years. Hell, he'd been young and green beyond belief, it wasn't any surprise that he had pushed that memory far to the back corners of his mind.

_For good reason too_, Jano thought grimly. Sesshomaru didn't want to talk about her, didn't want to be reminded or questioned in his decisions regarding Inuyasha's mother or her offspring. The lady had been very sweet, very kind and quite gentle. At the time, he'd thought her a diversion of the Daimyo, a mere plaything.

What else could a human be to a youkai?

_I was wrong_, Jano thought, one finger reaching up absently to touch the pale, thin scar that ran from the middle of his left cheek almost to his ear. Inuyoukai didn't scar easily. He'd made a point of making sure this mark didn't fade, asking a healer for a special salve to make the scar a permanent reminder of his moment of stupidity, his ignorantly loud mouth, and the lightning feel of Inutaisho's youki strike across his face.

Sesshomaru had never commented either way about the scar not fading, but that was typical for Sesshomaru in many ways. Jano's eyes narrowed, his expression grim as he descended the level where the guard was housed when on duty. The stone walls closed around him, bathing him in ever-deeper shadows.

He wasn't about to mention Sango's pregnancy before Sesshomaru decided to make it public. If anyone else suspected, he hoped they'd have the good sense to keep it to themselves. It was not considered to be polite to discuss a lady's condition among the staff or soldiers. Jano would not tolerate disrespect; Sesshomaru's tolerance was even more limited.

He grinned. Family trait, that was.

He continued along his way, trying to dispel dark memories as he walked, focusing instead on what he planned to curse out the captain of the guard for this time. Jano's face had a wicked smirk, the guard much preferred it to be him doing the cursing and the shouting. The entire fortress lived in dread of the day that Sesshomaru-sama would take it into his head to discipline any of his forces.

Having a reputation for icy detachment was one thing, having a viciously bloodthirsty nature when annoyed was quite another.

Jano fondly remembered the last time, oh years ago, that Sessh become irritated by some stupid fool who didn't quite understand that his lord's orders were always supposed to be obeyed to the letter, never questioned and performed immediately. It had taken the staff days to scrub the charred spot off the courtyard paving.

The sound of raised voices caught his attention and Jano slowed his pace to a quiet whisper of steps. Whatever they were arguing about this time, it was better for him to listen in himself rather than try to sort it out later. He leaned against the wall just next to the slightly open door of the wardroom and listening intently.

"You're a fucking liar, Haru," a deep voice rumbled. _Not in anger_, Jano thought, _more like amusement_. It would be some minor dispute then, not something he'd have to go in and tear angry men apart for.

He heard Haru sigh heavily. "I'm just telling you what Aiko told me," the guard said in a sullen voice.

The first voice laughed and Jano thought he recognized it as Nizo, his recently disciplined target of throwing blades. He frowned, wondering if Nizo had the good sense to have cleaned his favorite knife yet. No matter, he'd get it back soon one way or another. For now he just wanted to listen in, it was always a good thing to stay on top of the usual rumors and gossip.

"That bit of fluff, what would she know about it?" Nizo chuckled, watching Haru's angry flush.

"She's Makiko's own sister, I guess she'd know her sister's mind," Shiou snapped.

Jano's ears pricked up and he leaned closer. Makiko, what were they talking about her for?

Nizo belched loudly and Jano rolled his eyes in disgust. "You mean to tell me," Nizo sneered contemptuously, "that Makiko tried to get Jano into bed and he turned her down?"

He thought his heart was about to stop. Jano had ice water in his veins and couldn't move. _She told Aiko what happened_, he thought in fury. _And Aiko told Shiou and Haru of all the fucking people?_ His fists clenched in sudden rage and Jano had to restrain himself from going in there and knocking some truth out of those fools.

Shiou cleared his throat. "That's not all," he muttered, sounding more like a man pronouncing his own execution rather than spreading juicy gossip. "He not only turned her down, he tossed her out of his room and slammed the door in her face."

"What did she do then?" one of the younger guards asked, his voice eager with interest.

_Yeah, damn it_, Jano thought. _What the fuck did she do other than run her mouth to that fucking sister of hers?_

"She took it very badly," Haru said softly, Jano had to strain to hear him. "Aiko said she was crying her eyes out for hours. I guess she's always had a thing for him and never let on."

"No fucking way," Jano breathed, damn near pressing his nose against the stone in an effort to keep from going in there. It was not possible; she'd been ready to murder him on the spot for one thing. He couldn't imagine Makiko sobbing like her heart was broken...over him?

"That's what Aiko said," Shiou said gruffly. "She told us that Makiko was so angry and embarrassed over it that she didn't think she could ever face Jano again. He rejected her and Makiko's a proud woman. Very proud. Told her sister that she was thinking of asking Sesshomaru-sama to let her leave his service."

Jano about choked on his own tongue. Now that had to be an outright lie. Makiko would never leave the fortress. Hell, the fortress might not even survive her absence. And she didn't have any family other than Aiko, where would she go? Shiou and Haru had it wrong; they must be making it up in their own minds.

Nizo whistled softly. "She's that pissed? I've seen Makiko threaten to geld Jano on more than one occasion, but I'm having a hard time with this. Aiko really said that her sister was in love with him?"

He let out a small whine; he couldn't help it and clapped a quick hand over his mouth. In love? He couldn't breathe for a moment; his stomach was turning over queasily. This had to be a joke.

"That's what Aiko said, she was pretty pissed off herself," Haru continued, his voice cool and distant. "Apparently, Makiko is in love with him, too proud to tell him of course, and finally worked up her courage with some excuse or another last night and the damn fool turned her away."

_Damn fool was right_, Jano thought, feeling a little bewildered. He shook his head, denying it. No, they were full of shit; this had to be some kind of game that Aiko was running on them. He was going to go right to Makiko this minute and sort it out. He didn't care how much ass he had to kick along the way; he would have the truth out of someone about this.

"That doesn't sound like the Makiko I know," the younger guard said, sounding a little hesitant.

"Turned her down, that doesn't sound like the Jano I know," Nizo laughed.

_Damn right_, Jano agreed. He listened as Shiou took up the story where Haru had left off.

"I'm just saying that Aiko said her sister had already been offered a position in a very respectable household from a clanlord who is very much in Sesshomaru-sama's favor. She'd turned it down, but now she can't stay here if she has to face Jano with that kind of rejection hanging over her head. Now that she knows he doesn't want her..."

_Hell if I don't_, he snarled to himself, digging his claws into the hard stone of wall. _What a stupid woman, she didn't understand. I meant I didn't want her like that. I never meant I didn't want her at all!_

"What a stupid fool," Nizo said, yawning as he stretched and scratched himself. "If that woman threw herself at me, I'd make sure she had no complaints about it. I'd have her on the floor with her legs spread so fast she'd not know what hit her."

He was growling, outright growling at the idea. He'd rip Nizo's throat out for just saying it, let alone trying it. As if Makiko would ever want a greasy, smelly, foul mouthed...

"So where is she going?" the younger guard asked.

_Yeah, damn it, where does she think she's going_, Jano echoed in growing fury.

"It was Barou-sama who offered her a position," Shiou answered.

Jano felt the blood drain out of his face in surprise. Barou? That damn snake of a mind reading youkai? Why the hell would he even do such a thing, it didn't make any sense. And why would Makiko even dream of accepting? Barou's territory was hell and away far from here, far from everything she'd known.

"It's the distance that made her take the offer," Haru commented. "You going to drink that, Nizo? My throat is dry from all this talking."

"Go ahead," Nizo grunted, shoving the bottle in Haru's hands. "What else did Aiko say?"

Shiou seemed to be getting into the spirit of relating the story. "Not much, Aiko's not happy about it. Seems to think Barou might have other designs on her sister than just a household manager."

"No way," the younger guard said breathlessly, leaning forward. "What makes her think that?"

_I'd like to know myself_, Jano thought, his teeth clenching until his jaw ached.

Haru's shrug was evident in his voice. "She's a lovely woman, he wouldn't be a male if he didn't notice it. He's hardly the first clanlord to want something like that. His own mate is quite nice, but he wouldn't be a male if he didn't crave a little something extra now and then."

"And Makiko would go for that?" Nizo asked in disbelief.

"Why not?" Haru answered. "He's powerful, a clanlord, and has Sesshomaru-sama's favor and trust, mind you. And the ladies all seem to agree he's desirable and very artful with his ways. Seems he would be the one who'd know what a woman wants. Makiko's not a fool, boys. Having a lord like that wanting you for his lover would turn a woman's head, especially if the man she's in love with made it clear he don't want her."

He couldn't listen anymore, it made him sick. Jano shoved away from the wall with an angry snarl, not caring if the gossiping guards overheard him.

This wasn't over. If Makiko thought she was getting away from him, she was a fool.


	25. TwentyFive

_**Chapter TwentyFive**_

"Oh come on, Inuyasha! Why not?"

He glared at her from slightly narrowed golden eyes. "I don't want to," he snapped.

Sango gave disgusted snort and plopped down next to Miroku. After breakfast, they'd headed outside. The sun was warm on the courtyard and they were enjoying watching Shippou's game of tag with Rin. But Sango was still restless, the past few days of ease had done her a world of good, although she certainly couldn't call what she and Sesshomaru had been doing at night restful.

It was more of a mental relaxation, a lessening of burdens that had slowly been accumulating on the young woman's shoulders. Her brother was free and alive, her friends were safe, and she was in love. If anyone had told her that fate had such happiness in store for her, she would have laughed in their faces. Naraku was still out there, still working his evil and plotting destruction, but at the moment she was willing to let the matter be pushed to the back of her mind. She was in love.

Still, the fact that Naraku was out there and in desperate need of being slain meant she couldn't afford to let herself get soft. That morning her exterminator clothing and armor had been returned to her room and Sango let her hands wander with fondness over the garments. Her clothing had been cleaned and repaired, someone had taken out the messy mends she'd done herself and neatly restored the tough fabric.

They did a much better job than she'd been able to do on her own and she wondered exactly which of Makiko's staff had gotten the job. She could barely see the mends herself, she only knew they were there because she knew exactly where each cut or tear had been. Her armor was also clean, dents and damage had been carefully smoothed out and it had been restored to a glossy finish.

She'd smiled to herself when putting it on, slipping a soft new yukata over her shoulders. Being the lover of a powerful demon lord had its benefits in more way than one.

And she felt energized, ready to jump and run with happiness. It was silly, she was hardly a little girl anymore, but she had to hold herself back from skipping when she walked and when Miroku casually commented on her state of fit exuberance, all she could do was laugh. What she wanted now was someone to spar with; she needed to keep herself trained for battle readiness even in this relaxed and protected place.

Unfortunately, her most likely sparring partner was giving her a dirty look, hunched against the wall with an expression of disdain. She decided that he'd probably be angry if she pointed out that look of his made him resemble his brother quite strongly.

"Please?" she asked again, grinning at him. "I promise to take it easy on you."

Kagome smothered a chuckle and Inuyasha shot the girl a glare. "Something funny?" he growled.

Miroku tapped him with the end of his staff, he would have stood up to do so, but he was still a bit too sore for quick movements. "Now Inuyasha, there's no reason for you to refuse Sango's request. You've sparred with her before, why the hesitation now?"

"I ain't hesitating," the hanyou answered gruffly. "I just ain't in the mood."

"Not in the mood for fighting, that's something I thought we'd never hear," Sango taunted, challenging him with her gaze. Maybe she could tease him into it by taking a few shots at his ego. "All right, if that's really how you feel. I never would have thought you'd be afraid to spar with me."

He snorted, looked disgusted. "As if I have any reason to be afraid of you. Didn't you watch that fight with Yasuke yesterday? Please. I think I can handle anything you throw out."

"Prove it," she grinned, her hands on her hips.

The monk laughed, shaking his head. "Maybe it isn't you he fears, Sango," he said with a devilish twinkle in his eye. "Maybe Inuyasha simply fears what his brother will do if he sees the two of you fighting, even in practice."

"I'm not afraid of that asshole either," Inuyasha began in a heated voice. He stopped, realizing they'd been teasing him. Fine. If that's what they wanted, he could put on a show. As if he'd ever hurt Sango in the first place or let her hurt him. It was joke. On the other hand, she just wanted some exercise and it might be fun to let some of these stuck up idiots see that this human woman wasn't the helpless little villager they'd probably thought her.

Yeah, that didn't sound bad at all.

"Come on, wench," he snorted, moving away from the wall. "Let's go at it, I'll make you look good."

"I don't need your help with that," Sango answered cheerily. "I won't even use Hiraikotsu, so you can just leave Tessaiga in its sheath."

Oh she was getting entirely too cocky, he thought, wondering if that was Sesshomaru's influence. Sango had never doubted her own skills since he'd known her, but the confidence radiating of the woman now was something new.

"As if I'd need the sword to fight a human," he said airily, looking up at the sky with an expression of supreme unconcern. "I just hope all this time in bed," he grinned wickedly, "hasn't made you soft. Just remember if you play with me, I play dirty."

They started to dance around each other, Sango feinting with lightning quick kicks to test Inuyasha. He'd better be taking this seriously, if I didn't want a real practice, I'd spar with Shippou, she thought. He dodged away, still not making any serious moves to stop her, letting her be the aggressive one and come after him. Finally, it started to annoy her.

"Are you done playing around yet?" she asked, suspicion evident in the tone of her voice.

He was on her before she could even finish the sentence. Inuyasha ran in under her guard and seized Sango in a tight hold that clamped her arms to her sides, heaving her off her feet as he picked her up from behind.

"I dunno," he said lazily in her ear. "Do you think I'm done playing around?"

_If he thinks it's going to be that easy_, Sango thought. She jabbed her elbow in his stomach as hard as she could, it didn't make him break his hold, but his weight shifted to anticipate her next move. Instead of trying to gain her feet as he expected, Sango bent over his arms to gain momentum and heaved herself backward to shake his balance.

It worked, the hanyou stumbled a step two back, giving Sango the opportunity to twist in his arms and drive her stiffened fingers into his abdomen. Inuyasha's short gasp of breath told her that her move had caught him off guard and she used the time to plant her feet and shove to break his hold. As his arms peeled away from her, she didn't hesitate and launched a kick right for his chest. The hanyou went down on his ass.

"First fall!" Shippou called out gleefully.

"Good move, sister!" Kohaku said, clapping his hands.

Sango grinned at their praise and looked at Inuyasha. He was smiling; a little embarrassed she'd knocked him to the ground. "Okay, I deserved that," he said, getting to his feet.

"You deserved worse, but I'm feeling generous," Sango taunted him and dropped into a half crouch, daring him to come at her again.

Kagome watched them start to circle again and shook her head. "What's got into Sango?" she murmured, leaning towards Miroku. "I've never seen her act like this."

Miroku frowned slightly; he too noticed a strange eagerness in the exterminator's gaze while she sparred. This time Inuyasha was being a little more cautious, not wanting to get dumped on his ass more than once, the monk supposed.

"I'd have to agree she's feisty," he commented at last. "Why, I have no idea. Perhaps we should ask Sesshomaru to enlighten us."

She snickered, holding her hand in front of her mouth and thinking about the look that the demon lord would give them for presuming to ask such a question. "Somehow I doubt if he'd answer your questions."

He laughed back at her. "What, you think that he'd be offended at us speculating on his relationship with Sango and why she's so full of energy this morning? He might take that as an insult."

"I couldn't blame him," Kagome answered. "I'm sure he'd say it's none of our business what he did with her last night."

"And what did you and Inuyasha do last night?" Miroku asked, shooting the question at her like a dart. Just because he was battered and bruised from his own exploits didn't mean that he hadn't noticed a strange tension between the hanyou and the girl. Nor did he miss the way she'd been watching Inuyasha out of the corner of her eyes, blushing and turning away whenever he glanced back.

Miroku contemplated that he might be assuming something; then again, what was wrong with assuming something that was inevitable?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kagome answered stiffly, looking away from him and locking her arms around her knees. He looked thoughtfully at her and leaned in close.

"Was it that bad?"

"It was not bad at all," she hissed, inching away from him.

"So I am correct that you finally..."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "Do you have to be so nosy? Don't we deserve any privacy?"

Miroku sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "Okay, it was awful. I won't mention it."

"It was not awful, it was wonderful and it's still not your business!"

Inuyasha held up his hand to make Sango pause in her attack. "You two do realize that I can hear you, right?" he barked over his shoulder. First he had Sango trying to beat his ass for no good reason, now he had to listen to Miroku interview Kagome about how their first time had been. And she was still acting weird too; he was frankly a little relieved to hear her say the word wonderful. He'd been worried for a few minutes he'd done something wrong, hurt her in some way she wouldn't tell him.

"Since you can hear me, why don't you offer up some details?" Miroku called to him, grinning widely. He'd been waiting years for the chance to tease them about this.

Sango stopped, dropping her hands. "Is that pervert saying what I think he's saying?" she asked, planting her hand on Inuyasha's chest when he tried to turn away. He swatted her arm away.

"I don't ask you for details about how you fuck my brother," he growled, watching as her face turned red.

She pushed closer, glaring up at him. "As a matter of fact, you did," she snarled back, her eyes flashing. "Or have you forgotten about that?"

"When did you ask her for details?" Miroku asked, leaning forward. He used his staff to give him leverage to stand up, as it was he probably wouldn't have made it if Kagome hadn't grabbed his elbow and hauled him up next to her. He smiled a thanks and cursed that his body wasn't healed yet from his own night of experimentation.

"I ain't forgotten," he snapped, looking murderous at the idea. "I had every right to know what was going on, considering who it was."

Sango put her hands on her hips and stared him down. "But no one has the right to ask you about your own private business, huh?"

"Hey," Kagome said, darting between them as the exterminator and the hanyou started to growl at each other. "Calm down, can we just drop the subject?" she pleaded, her face getting pinker all the time.

Sango saw her blush and instantly felt awful. Of course Kagome wouldn't feel like talking about their first time, not with raised voices and in such a public place. Just because there didn't seem to be any youkai around at the moment did not mean they weren't being watched. If only by the curious who wanted to see the sparring match. Now was really no time to discuss it.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," she said contritely, going to the other girl and putting her hands on her shoulders. "We have no right to pry."

Miroku opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut when Sango leveled him with a look. "You're right of course," he said, moving smoothly into his best penitive look. "Forgive me for being rude, Kagome."

"No one's gonna apologize to me?" Inuyasha demanded. Sango shot him a look that made his annoyance die in his throat. _Since when did she get to be that intimidating_, he wondered. Then she turned her disapproval on Miroku. She laid her finger on the side of his face, turning his cheek to face her.

"You know, houshi-sama," she said at last. "Those scratches do look deep. I think you should take Makiko up on her offer for something to help heal them. You don't want to scar."

He put his hand up and gingerly felt the marks. "I don't think they're that bad, Sango. I've never scarred before from an injury like that."

She stepped on his foot and Miroku winced. "I think," she said, emphasizing the word, "we should go look for Makiko anyway."

He might be a little dense, but not that much. Sango wanted them to leave Kagome and Inuyasha alone. He looked at Kagome, noting the embarrassed flush to her cheeks and the way she wouldn't look at the hanyou. He sighed and tucked his hand around the exterminator's arm.

"Who am I to argue with a lady?" he asked no one in a cavalier tone. "I'm extremely touched that you think so well of my face that you don't want to see it altered."

Sango couldn't hold back a grin. "Don't let it go to your head, houshi-sama."

Miroku laughed and let her lead him away. "Tell the truth, Sango. You want me to tell you all the details of my evening. I can see in your eyes that you're curious."

"The only thing I'm curious about is how you managed to live through it," she shot back. "They must have taken pity on you."

"Oh, pity and then some," he answered cheerfully. "As a spiritual person, I try to look for the Buddha's compassion in all that I meet. The young ladies were no different, I consider it my sacred duty to explore such traits of mercy and love, even in the hearts of youkai females."

Kagome shook her head as they walked away, amused by Miroku's banter. "Does he ever stop?" she wondered aloud.

"Not that I can tell," Inuyasha answered darkly. He slipped an arm around Kagome's shoulders and winced when he felt the girl stiffen. "What's wrong?" he asked in a soft tone.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm perfectly fine," she said, hating herself for flinching away from him. The truth was, she felt very uneasy. Since she'd awoken she'd felt strange, like something was missing that she'd taken for granted. It wasn't Inuyasha, he hadn't done anything wrong. The problem was in her and she knew she was hurting Inuyasha by not responding the way she should be. Everything should be wonderful, she told herself angrily. I love him and he loves me and that's all that matters!

He slowly turned her to face him and she didn't look him in the eye, instead focusing on a point between his eyebrows and his nose. "Kagome," he whispered. "Are you sorry?"

"No," she said fiercely, forcing herself to look at him. "I'm not sorry about anything. I...I just need some time to adjust."

He took it wrong, she thought, seeing his gaze darken and his hands slowly fall away from her. "I see."

"No, you don't," she said desperately, reaching up to clutch his haori in her fists. "Inuyasha, it's not you. It's me."

His head fell forward, his hair hiding his eyes. "Please tell me I didn't hurt you," he murmured. "Kagome, you won't even look at me!"

She didn't have the words to explain it, she knew the only way she could reassure him was by her actions so she wound her arms tightly around his waist, hoping he'd understand how much he meant to her. Slowly, his arms rose to hold her against him and she heard him sigh.

Inuyasha was confused, she pulled away from him, now she squeezed him so tight it was hard to breathe. _Strange girl,_ he thought, resting his chin in her hair. She needed time, he wasn't sure why, but he would give her time. He'd give her anything she asked, his life, his heart, his soul. Last night had done one thing; it had driven home to him the knowledge that he wanted her with him forever.

They would find a way to get through this awkwardness, find a way to love each other so that every time they came together it would be an affirmation of how much they needed each other. He would wait, he wouldn't pressure her. Now was no time to be a hot-tempered hanyou and shove until Kagome told him what was bothering her. He wasn't patient by nature, but for Kagome he'd be what she needed.

_It's nice, just standing here and holding each other_, Kagome thought. She knew he was confused, how could he not be? She rested her cheek against his chest and listened to the slow, strong beat of his heart. Her friends had always said that sex changes everything, but Kagome hadn't believed it until now. She inhaled deeply, loving the smell of him and thinking about how it had always made her happy.

As they stood there, Inuyasha felt something tickle at the edge of his senses, something that had nothing to do with Kagome. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up and he tensed, his arms going rigid around her back. The bright sunlight bathing the courtyard started to fade and darken, as if a cloud had suddenly blotted out the sun. He raised his eyes to the sky, watching, waiting for it.

Something dark was in the sky, something so high above him he couldn't make out its form. A cold wind drifted over them and Inuyasha's eyes went wide in sudden fury. He couldn't see it yet, but he knew the bastard's smell every bit as well as he knew his own. He didn't hesitate a moment longer, grabbing Kagome and shoving her behind him, yanking Tessaiga from its sheath as the dark form drifted ever closer.

"Naraku!"

A dark chill colored the air, Inuyasha could feel Kagome's hands clutching tight on the back of his haori. The formless cloud began to solidify, taking on shape and detail as it hovered closer, becoming familiar to him in the form of a white baboon pelt.

"So, Inuyasha," a sinister voice said softly. "This is where you've been hiding. I never thought you'd go to your brother for protection."

"Protection my ass," he shouted, rage glinting in his golden eyes. "I ain't hiding from anyone, especially not you. Anytime you want a fight, I'm right here waiting. Come on, Naraku!"

"Such a fool you are, Inuyasha," Naraku said coldly, his voice echoing across the stones. Kagome glanced around, seeing inuyoukai faces at every window, the guards starting to pour into the courtyard, their expressions angry at this intrusion. This is stupid, she thought frantically, looking around them. Why would Naraku attack here, where Sesshomaru is the strongest and he doesn't have a chance of winning? She knew that Naraku coveted the demon lord's power, desired it because of the pureblood youki strength that he would never attain.

_He must have another target_, the girl decided grimly. Her hand went automatically to her pocket, where a small glass jar held the jewel shard that Sesshomaru had pulled out of Kohaku's body. _This is it_, she thought, her hand closing convulsively on the jar. _Just try to take it from us, Naraku!_

"Why are you here?" Inuyasha demanded. Not that he was complaining, it was rare that Naraku gave them a chance to meet him head on instead of trying to lure them with one of his dirty little tricks. Destroying the abomination in front of his brother's people, his people, would give him a satisfaction he'd only dreamed of.

"Not that it matters to me why you're here," he spat. "I'll still send you right to hell."

Naraku chuckled, this was more fun that he'd imagined. The fool actually thought he'd come here for a fight. Didn't he know that his mind worked much more subtly than that? "Inuyasha," he said, his voice thick with contempt and hatred. "You think I come here to seek you for a battle? Why would I bother when you are nothing to me, when I complete the jewel it will be my pleasure to destroy you utterly. I won't waste my time in confrontation before that."

"Instead," and Inuyasha could hear the malevolence building in Naraku's voice. "I've only sought you out to bring you a gift."

"Gift?" Inuyasha snarled, his fists tightening on Tessaiga's hilt. "I'd never take a gift from you! There's nothing you have that I'd ever want!"

"Not even the corpse of a friend?" Naraku hissed. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and jumped out of the way, something tumbling from the sky. It hit the ground with a sickening thud and Kagome cried out when she recognized the badly battered body.

"Kouga!"

"Yes, priestess," Naraku murmured. "I have conquered the wolf demon, he was most reluctant to part with the jewel shards in his possession. He fought well, but he really had no chance for victory. Therefore, out of _compassion_," his teeth seemed to be in the way when he said the word, as if it galled him. "I have decided to give him over to you for burial."

"Bastard," Inuyasha ground out, listening to Kagome's choked sobs as she stared at Kouga's lifeless body. "You'll pay for that and every other being, human or youkai, that you've slaughtered."

"Are you upset that I killed him?" Naraku asked sweetly. The rage and fury on Inuyasha's face, the grief in the priestess' eyes, were delicious. He held out his hand, a shining orb glistened there. "I also wanted you to know that when you leave this fortress, I will be waiting. The jewel is nearly complete, as is my power. I need only one last shard, one that belongs to me by right. If you give it to me now, I will spare the lives of your companions. Think on it, Inuyasha. No others need join you in death, look at your friend's body and think on it."

"That wimpy wolf was not my friend," Inuyasha shouted. His anger was starting to make him shake. "And you won't find me so easy to kill! You want that fucking shard, you try and take it. Kaze no Kizu!"

He brought the sword down in a powerful arc even as he shouted the battle cry. Tessaiga rang out with power, glowing like a light from a fading star as the youki was released. The wind howled from the blade's power, forming into a destructive mass and blasting upwards at Naraku.

Inuyasha felt satisfaction as he watched the white baboon dissolve, ripped to shreds and pieces by his attack. He'd known it was only a golem, a puppet form sent by Naraku. It had stunk of Naraku's evil, but no real youki.

_Bastard doesn't have the balls to come himself_, he thought in irritation.

The backlash of Tessaiga's blow shook the ground underneath him and Inuyasha jumped back, a long crack opening under his feet. The crack spread out and reaching the wall became a spider's web of smaller cracks in the ancient stone. A few rocks tumbled from the damage, falling with little clatters as the quake of Tessaiga's power slowly subsided.

"Damn," he murmured, sheathing the sword and looking guiltily around him. In his temper, he hadn't thought of what the sword could do to damage the fortress.

He raised his eyes and looked around, yes; he was being stared at all right. Dozens of dog demons had gathered in the courtyard, some had only escaped the Tessaiga's power by a few inches, throwing themselves out of the way as he struck at Naraku. He flushed as they stared at him, their mouths hanging open in shock.

Nervously, he realized what he had done and remembered with a sudden jolt that it had to be the first time in many, many years that his sword had been unsheathed in this place. Everyone around him remembered quite well its true power, as well as the power of the one who had made it.

Kagome had dropped to her knees, tears staining her face. "Oh Kouga, you stupid fool," she whispered, her hand reaching out to touch the wolf demon's dark hair. "Why didn't you run away, let him have the damn shards? It wasn't worth getting killed over."

The air around them had become thick with expectation and Inuyasha turned around to see his brother standing at the edge of the courtyard. Sesshomaru's face was utterly expressionless as he approached his younger sibling, Jano a few steps behind him like a dark shadow of the youkai lord.

Inuyasha flushed, not dropping his gaze from his brother's as Sesshomaru stopped. The demon looked at Kouga for a moment, then at Kagome who was looking up at him with grief in her eyes. Then his gaze turned to the rather dramatic crack in the courtyard paving, following the evidence of Tessaiga's destruction to the far wall and the many cracks that had appeared in the wall's surface.

At that moment, a tiny part of the upper wall gave way, crumbling as little bits of pebbles and dust fell in a soft clatter that was the only noise in the otherwise deathly silent courtyard.

Inuyasha looked at his feet, feeling angry and embarrassed. "Sorry about that," he muttered.

Sesshomaru only raised an eyebrow at his words, glanced up at the sky, and then punched Inuyasha right in the mouth.

"How dare you damage this fortress?" he said in an icy tone.

Inuyasha's head had rocked back from the force of the blow, a thin trickle of blood leaking onto his chin. "Hey," he said, protesting. "It was Naraku, goddamnit!"

"I don't care who it was," Sesshomaru hissed, his eyes gone dark with fury. "I had expected even an imbecile like you to be able to control yourself better than that. Do you not realize that in your anger you might have done more than just damage the stone?"

"I wasn't aiming at the fucking stone," Inuyasha shouted, anger flushing his face. "I was aiming at that bastard!"

Sesshomaru punched him again, this time Inuyasha didn't move, just stood there with his fists clenched. "I said I was sorry!"

"Your apologies are useless," Sesshomaru snarled. "You worthless excuse for a half-demon, why our father ever thought you were capable of wielding that sword I will never know. You have no self-control, you have no discretion. It means nothing to you that hundreds of people might have been killed or injured because you couldn't control your temper. That sword is no toy for you to use as you please."

"Fuck you, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled. "Since when do you give a damn about anyone else getting hurt? I'm fucking tired of listening to you going on about him leaving that sword to me. Get the fuck over it already!"

"I give a damn about what happens to those in this fortress," Sesshomaru hissed. "That's because they are my responsibility, something you understand nothing about. You act like a child that can't have his way, you don't think before you act. I'm shocked that you've managed to survive as long as you have with your stupidity."

"My lord?" Jano said quietly, kneeling next to Kagome as he examined Kouga's body.

Inuyasha growled at his brother's insults, stepping closer until he was only inches away from Sesshomaru. "Why don't you just admit what's really bothering you?" he hissed. "You can't stand the fact that I can use the sword and you can't. You can't even touch it without burning yourself. What does that say about you that our father didn't trust you to use it? That he hid it from you because he knew you weren't worthy!"

Sesshomaru hissed angrily, enraged by his words. "You dare insult me after that stunt? At least I understand the nature of Tessaiga's power and possess the discretion to use it wisely. You bumble around the countryside like a directionless fool, destroying miserable lower youkai at whim and thinking you are worthy of such power. I regret the day that I opened his grave in search of the blade. Had I known it would end up in your hands, it would have been better to have been lost forever."

"Um, Inuyasha?" Jano said, looking up at them. Neither of the brothers paid him any attention, fully concentrating on their hatred for each other and burning each other with words.

"Really?" Inuyasha sneered, folding his arms and glaring at Sesshomaru. "Here I thought you just regretted it because I used the sword to cut your fucking arm off. Is that what you mean by not using it wisely?"

Around the courtyard, inuyoukai were staring in gape-mouthed shock at the furious argument that was unfolding before them. It was unthinkable that Inutaisho's sword had been used to damage the fortress walls, equally unthinkable that his sons were now trading insults and airing their disagreement over such a personal matter in such a public place.

"You contemptuous brat," Sesshomaru snarled, his expression giving way to cold anger. "Your ignorance shames our bloodline, you know nothing about this place, and your own sword is a mystery to you. You know nothing of complex magic that created that blade or why it was made, you understand nothing of your own heritage."

"If I understand nothing of my own heritage, that's your fault!" Inuyasha yelled, pushing himself right into his brother's face. "You think I don't know what you did? You think I don't know that you were supposed come for me after my mother died? You're the one who abandoned me, you stuck up prick! If I don't know anything about my heritage, it's your fault and you have no one to blame but yourself."

Sesshomaru's eyes glittered at him. "Better I should have come for you when you were a child, better if I had made sure that you never lived long enough to become such an embarrassment. I regret whatever pity I felt that made me let you live."

"That's a mistake you should correct," Inuyasha spat, readying his claws. "Let's end this now. I'm sick of listening to your bitching and whining about the sword and I'm sick of you trying to kick me around. Come after me now and we'll see who's stronger. Right fucking now!"

"Excellent notion, little brother," Sesshomaru said in a deadly soft voice. "I will end this shame for once and for all."

Kagome jumped up, tears pouring down her face. "Stop it, damn you both," she cried. "There are more important things to worry about now! Naraku has almost completed the jewel. Do you have to try and kill each other? Isn't it enough that Kouga's already dead?"

"Actually," Jano said slowly, standing up and putting and arm around Kagome's shoulders. "You're too hasty, Kagome."

The brothers glared at Jano as he met their angry eyes. "I hate to disappoint anyone, but this wolf isn't dead."


	26. TwentySix

_**Chapter TwentySix**_

It hurt. He hurt. He hurt in places he didn't know he'd had and even twitching caused a whole new experience in agony for him. He was breathing, he knew that much, but Kouga really didn't want to open his eyes. As he'd first started to drift back to awareness, waking up to aches and pains that didn't seem to have any end, he thought maybe it might just be better to stay unconscious.

At least until he healed.

No, he didn't have that kind of luck and something touched his face, making him hiss. It was cold and damp, but it didn't feel like a threat so the wolf allowed it. The cool moist feeling brushed over his forehead and down his cheek, carefully wiping his skin. He supposed it might be blood they were trying to wipe away. He really didn't want to open his eyes anyway; his last memory was of Naraku's face, laughing at him as he ripped the jewel shards out of his legs.

Who wanted to wake up after something like that? It was only stubbornness that kept him alive in the first place.

The cool touch disappeared, and then returned again feeling fresher. This time it laved at his neck and upper chest, he could feel the wounds as it gently pulled at his skin. Who was caring for him? Ginta? Hakkaku? Someone had found him, felt sorry enough for a half dead wolf to wipe away crusted blood. His nose twitched, waking up more thoroughly than the rest of his senses, and Kouga cautiously sniffed the air.

He smelled dog.

The wolf's eyes suddenly shot open, his hand automatically reaching for whoever was tending him. A faint snarl wanted to come from his throat but he was too weak to do more than just put on a show. His head turned to the side, looking into a pair of startled young eyes.

"Who are you?" he croaked.

The girl didn't answer; she tried to pull her wrist out of his hand instead. First gently, then a little more insistently as he didn't release his grip. "Who are you?" he demanded in a louder voice, pleased that enough of his strength remained to keep his hold on the young girl. If she hit him or anything he'd probably slip right back to blissful unconsciousness, but until she did, he could put on a show of being strong and in control of himself.

"Answer me, girl!"

She stopped fighting him and met his eyes with a startled look. The girl looked scared all right, but not of him. Her lips parted slowly, her pink tongue slipping out to lick them anxiously. "Kaori," she murmured.

"And where am I, Kaori?" He needed to know whose prisoner he was; he needed to know why the place smelled like dog. The girl just looked at him, her hand hanging limply from his grasp with a wet cloth between her fingers.

"You're in the fortress, wolf-sama."

"What fortress?"

She blinked at him and gently eased her hand from his. The cloth returned to his face, wiping tentatively at his cheek again. "The fortress," she said again, her head cocked to the side. "It's never had any other name."

_Well, that was a lot of help,_ he thought sourly.

Kouga sniffed again, looking her over. "You're inuyoukai." He must be in some kind of dog demon stronghold. He didn't know any inuyoukai personally; mutt-face the half-breed was enough for him. He knew they weren't friendly, hated wolves more than spoiled meat, and were generally so territorial and paranoid they hated having anything to do with other demons that didn't involve killing them.

This was not looking good for him.

Kaori leaned over him, tending to his wounds and gently wiping his chest with her damp cloth. Now that he was paying attention, it smelled of herbs and he wondered who had ordered her to take care of him.

"Listen, kid," he said, trying to sit up a bit. "I need to know what's going on."

"They thought you were dead. Makiko-san set me to watch over you," the girl said in a slightly sullen tone.

"You don't look old enough to be my guard," he said mildly, amused at the stiffness in her tone.

Her eyes flicked back at him and she went to dip her cloth in a basin. "The guards are outside," she said, getting less friendly by the moment. "If you try anything, they'll be in here in a second, wolf."

Yeah, she was inuyoukai all right. Every bit as friendly as dog-turd himself. "Who's Makiko?" he demanded, not about to let her run the conversation. "She your leader?"

The girl gave him a withering look. "Makiko-san is the head of household staff. She tells me my duties if that's what you mean."

"So who is really in charge of this place?" Kouga wasn't going to start a fight until he knew exactly whom he was dealing with. He knew he was stubborn and arrogant, he was proud of that. But he wasn't an idiot about survival; he never would have lived as long as he had if he didn't know how to think.

"The lord of the fortress is Sesshomaru-sama," the girl said primly, wringing out her wet cloth in the herbal solution.

"Sesshomaru?" he said incredulously, sitting straight up in bed. "Dog-shit's fucking brother?"

She was quick. Kaori leaped across the room and slapped him hard in the face. "That's Sesshomaru-sama to you, wolf! And do not speak of the hanyou-sama like that either. If you want to live you'll be respectful in this place."

"Damn, girl," he said, rubbing his already bruised cheek. "You got a dog demon's temper."

"And you stink like a wolf," she said archly. "Don't your people bathe?"

Insults too? Hadn't he been through enough? Kouga decided to bide his time and wait to see what was going on. "We bathe," he assured her. The girl looked like she didn't believe him. He cocked his head at her.

"You gonna tell them I'm awake?"

She was gathering up her things, marching to the door before looking over her shoulder. "They know already. Do not try to leave this room. Wolves are not welcome here."

Friendly little wench, nice to know where mutt-face gets his personality. Then it hit him, if Inuyasha was here, so was Kagome. He grinned, laying back on the soft bed and wondering how sympathetic she'd be to his injuries and his pain. Kagome had always taken care of his hurts and wounds, no matter how it pissed off the half-breed.

It didn't look like they were going to kill him just yet and honestly, Kouga wanted to know why he was here when the last thing he'd seen was Naraku tearing the jewel shards from his legs. There would be answers. And Kagome.

oOo

Ginta crouched in the brush, staring down at the wide idyllic valley below. Hakkaku was next to him, sniffing the air.

"I know Kouga is here someplace," he muttered, looking at Ginta. "I swear he's alive."

"Kouga's too tough to kill easy," Ginta answered loyally. They'd followed his scent this far, only to have it fade again. Now they were deep in inuyoukai territory and both wolf demons were well aware of the stakes. Dog demons would kill them on sight most likely. Still, they were loyal, and neither of them so much as considered going back and abandoning Kouga.

He would never abandon them.

"This place stinks of dogs," Hakkaku said at last, nervously searching the area. They wouldn't abandon Kouga, but they wouldn't do him any good by getting themselves killed either. "We'll have to be sneaky."

"We'll have to be lucky," Ginta answered. Lucky if the dog demons didn't catch them and roast their bodies over a slow pit. He'd heard a lot about how vicious they were, not civilized like wolves that cared for their packs and families with a fanatical loyalty. They only killed to feed their pack and defend their young.

Rumor had it that inuyoukai killed for the pure pleasure of it, warring constantly among their own. Ginta didn't honestly understand that idea. All wolves were brothers, comrades. You wanted the other packs to be behind you in a pinch, you didn't fight with your own.

"Let's sneak down after nightfall," Ginta said at last, seeing Hakkaku nod in agreement. Then we'll follow that main road and see where it takes us. If we don't pick up Kouga's scent again, we'll just keep low until we do."

"As long as we keep out of sight, the stupid dogs probably won't find us." Hakkaku looked out over the horizon. "They won't find wolves that don't want to be found."

"Really?" A deep voice startled them both, drawling the word like an insult. Hard claws suddenly took both wolves by their throats.

"Looks like we have ourselves a couple trespassers, boys!"

oOo

"On yer feet, wolf," the guard, growled, looking at Kouga like he'd just messed his own den.

The wolf demon gave him a quick grin. "Oh, so you guys finally decided to take an interest in poor little me? I was beginning to wonder when somebody would."

The guard grunted and looked away. "Just get yourself together, Sesshomaru-sama wants to see you."

Kouga raised an eyebrow and started to shrug back into his armor. "Good," he said shortly. "I want to see him too."

"Then yer an idiot," the guard said with a smirk. "He ain't in a good mood since you were dropped in the courtyard."

"Dropped?" Kouga gave the guard a curious glance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The dog demon grinned, showing a mouthful of sharp fangs. "You'll find out, wolfie."

Kouga scowled, following the guard out the door. He looked with some interest around him. Bare stone walls, carved passages. The place stank of age and time; Kouga had never seen anything like it.

"Hey," he called to the guard. "What is the place, this fortress?"

"You are in my home. This place is the heart of my territory, the homeland of all inuyoukai clans."

Kouga turned to look as Sesshomaru came out of a dark corridor, moving like pale ghost wrapped in shadows. "Tell me what Naraku did to you," the demon lord said.

The wolf rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at Kouga's insolent tone.

"I know he took your jewel shards," the daiyoukai said, a faintly amused look in his eyes. "Serves you right for relying on such a corrupt source of power."

"That's all a wimpy wolf like him could manage," another voice sneered.

Kouga spun around and glowered at Inuyasha. "I knew I smelled something foul," the wolf snarled. "I thought it was just all the fucking dogs here, but you're ranker than the rest of 'em put together."

The hanyou scowled, folding his arms across his chest. "Looks like all Naraku left of you was your mouth, Kouga. If you'd just wanted your ass kicked I coulda helped you out with that."

"I do not have time to stand here and listen to your childish insults," Sesshomaru snapped, fixing his brother with a glare of pure annoyance. "I want to find out what Naraku is planning."

"And you think that moron is going to help you?" Inuyasha asked in an incredulous tone. "Near as I can tell the only thing he's good for is stinking up the place."

Kouga's fists clenched in fury. "You got a lot of nerve talking about anyone else, mangy mutt."

"You got something you wanna say? You want me to finish what Naraku started?" Inuyasha snarled.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, his hand going to pinch the bridge of his nose. He felt a massive headache coming on and that headache's name was Inuyasha.

Apparently, his brother managed to work his unique brand of charm on everyone he met and the youkai lord felt a passing sympathy for the wolf demon. He stood for a moment longer, listening as his brother and the wolf continued to trade insults ranging from personal hygiene to nasty implications regarding the sizes of their manhood. Finally, he couldn't tolerate another word and his patience snapped like dry kindling under a scorched summer sky.

"Shut up!" he roared, using a brief flare of his youki to shake the air around him.

Inuyasha and Kouga stopped, turning to stare at Sesshomaru, their argument quite forgotten. The sound of footsteps came running towards them, the door slammed open to admit a startled looking Jano. He looked around the room for a moment, obviously searching for the cause of his lord's outburst.

Sesshomaru sighed. "Yes, Jano?"

The bodyguard took a step back. "You bellowed, my lord?"

"It was the only way to distract these idiots from their incessant babbling," Sesshomaru answered acidly. Swiftly, he placed himself between Kouga and Inuyasha, looking at the wolf with a simmering impatience.

"I want answers," he growled. "Since Naraku has seen fit to throw your worthless hide in my fortress, I demand to know the reason."

Kouga backed up a few steps, not liking having mutt-face's brother that close to him. He didn't like inuyoukai; he especially didn't like having a powerful daiyoukai close enough to threaten him.

"What makes you think I know why he did it?" Kouga said defensively.

Sesshomaru pointed a long finger at the wolf. "Where were you when Naraku captured you? Were you within the borders of this territory or outside it?"

"He probably doesn't even know," Inuyasha said in a dark aside to Jano. "Long as I've known that damn wolf he's been fucking useless."

"You shut your hole," Kouga snarled, turning on the half-breed again. "Why are you here? I thought your brother wanted to kill you, since when are you all friendly?"

Inuyasha started to answer but Jano's hand flew up and smacked him on the back of the head. "Maybe you should leave this interview to your brother?" he asked in a dangerous tone.

Kouga scowled at the floor. "We were about two days run outside your territory," he said at last. "I heard that Naraku was in the area and decided to go after him."

"And where did you find him?" Sesshomaru asked, an impassive look on his face.

The wolf scratched his chin. "We didn't find him, he found us. My men and I had found a slaughtered human village, but no sign of that bastard."

"A slaughtered village?" Inuyasha burst in, unable to keep himself quiet. "Where? When did it happen? Why..."

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said in a dangerously calm voice. "Shut up or leave the room."

Kouga snickered as Inuyasha's face darkened with anger. The hanyou stalked away, looking out the window but muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like _fucking prick_.

The youkai lord looked at the wolf for a moment, holding his gaze. "A slaughtered village, but no sign of Naraku? What purpose?"

Kouga shrugged. "Damned if I know. It didn't look like any death I'd ever seen before. Someone took their time killing those humans, pulled them apart slowly for fun. Not Naraku's style really, he doesn't waste his time killing if there's nothing in it for him."

Sesshomaru looked up and met Jano's eyes, not having to say a word. "I'm on it," the bodyguard said, a quick snarl of anger crossing his features as he left the room.

Inuyasha scowled, pacing back to stand in front of Kouga. "If Naraku didn't do it, who did?"

"Why you asking me, dog-face?" Kouga snapped. "You think I got some inside on how that bastard's mind works?"

"How did he capture you, Kouga? What are you hiding from us?"

The wolf flushed, glaring at Inuyasha for a moment before looking at Sesshomaru. "Not sure," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "We left the village as we found it, headed west. We hit the forest just before nightfall. I wanted to be under some kind of cover when we made camp and I wanted to put some distance between that village and us. Something attacked me. That's all I remember."

"Something?" Sesshomaru looked curious. "Explain."

Kouga threw up his hands in frustration. "I don't know, goddamnit! I just know that I didn't even see it; I never had a chance to fight it off! For all I know my men are dead, I woke up with that son of a bitch cutting my legs open. And I was beat to bloody hell, that much I do know."

Inuyasha scratched his head. "You don't remember getting the shit beat out of you? Come on, wolf-turd. You can do better than that."

"Bite my ass, mutt," he snapped back peevishly. "I said I don't remember it. I just remember..." his eyes wandered out of focus for moment, forgetting about the two dog demons in the room. "He was laughing."

"Naraku?" Sesshomaru asked quietly.

"No," Kouga breathed. "The other one. The dark one who caught me." The wolf turned visibly paler as the memories started to wash over him. "He working with Naraku, but I don't think Naraku has him under control. I think he wanted to eat me or something, because Naraku had to talk him out of it long enough to get the shards out of my legs. The smell of blood was making him crazy."

"What was he, did you see him?" Sesshomaru demanded. Perhaps this was the source of dark anger he'd been sensing. All across his territory he could feel the menace growing, lusting for inuyoukai blood. If Naraku had created some foul new abomination, loosed it upon his land, his people, he was going to pay dearly for that mistake.

"Some incarnation," Inuyasha muttered, not liking the sound of it. "Just like Naraku to make something so bloodthirsty he can't control it. He doesn't care who he destroys as long as he gets what he's after." The hanyou looked back over his shoulder at his brother before turned his golden gaze on Kouga.

"What kind of monster did he make this time? What did it look like?"

Kouga seemed to snap back into himself, shaking his head to clear it. "Wasn't a monster," he muttered thickly. "It was...a dog demon."

oOo

Sango paced back and forth, restless. She wanted to know what was going on, wanted to know why Naraku had come to the fortress. Is _he after Kohaku again_, she wondered fretfully. She didn't understand why she couldn't relax, it seemed like her blood was burning in her veins.

Quietly, she'd asked Kagome if she thought she looked ill, but the girl had just laughed at her.

"You don't look sick, Sango! In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you look better. I'd swear you're glowing or something."

"Ah," Miroku said in a contemplative tone. "The glow of a satisfied and happy woman. I really should compliment our host."

Sango just blushed and smiled, passing off Miroku's suggestive remark. The monk yawned widely, leaning against the wall with a tired look. "Don't let me interrupt your conversation," he said, closing his eyes and relaxing. "I could do with a bit of rest myself."

"Why don't you rest in your own room then?" Sango asked, sighing. They were gathered in her room now, even Kohaku and little Rin had joined them. She noticed that her brother seemed to have adopted a protective nature around the little girl, as if he thought of her as a younger sibling.

That amused her, wondering what that meant her own relation to the child would be. What was Rin to Sesshomaru anyway? A ward, a member of his household? A daughter? Sango smiled at the idea of Sesshomaru letting the child call him father and shook her head.

_And what does that make you_, she asked herself, her eyes going to Rin's dark head nestled against Kohaku's shoulder as they looked at one of Kagome's strange books. This one was a thick volume of pictures, some brightly colored, some in black and white inked drawings.

Sango sighed and caught Kagome's eye. "Do you want to out on the balcony for some fresh air?"

The girl nodded, putting away her schoolwork. "Sure, right now I feel like I could fall asleep next to Miroku myself."

"You're more than welcome to," the monk murmured, not opening his eyes. "I promise to be a complete gentleman."

"Only because he's too sore to grope," Sango muttered.

Kagome chuckled and went outside with Sango. The breeze was warm and the sun was bright overhead. Around them, she could see a vast expanse of open land, stretching in a wide ribbon of green and gold, dotted here and there with clusters of flowers. In the distance, blue and violet mountains towered, capped with dazzlingly bright snow and half hidden just beyond a faint mist. "

"What a beautiful place," Kagome sighed, leaning on the cool smooth stone of the balcony. "It makes you feel like nothing bad could ever happen here."

"Peaceful," Sango agreed. Unfortunately, that feeling had to be an illusion. Naraku had come here, come to this fortress and thrown Kouga's unconscious body at them like a challenge. Sango frowned, wondering what Sesshomaru intended to do about it.

Somehow, she couldn't quite see him being easy with the whole thing. Then again, there was the matter of the crack in the wall to consider. She had to laugh, wishing she'd seen that part of the confrontation if only to glimpse an insight into the brothers' strained and difficult relationship.

She glanced at Kagome; the girl had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the warm gentle breeze. "So he was upset about the wall?"

"Furious," Kagome murmured. "I think they would have started beating on each other if Jano hadn't distracted their attention."

Sango was sure of it, knowing that her lover had to be absolutely enraged that his half brother had unleashed the Tessaiga in his domain. Not for the first time, she wondered what was really behind their mutual hatred. Was it just that Inuyasha was half human? If so, what the hell was she doing in Sesshomaru's bed? Did he truly hate humans so much, just making exceptions for one who caught his fancy?

She shook her head. No, that wasn't it. Whatever else anyone might say, including Inuyasha, she sensed something special between her and the youkai lord. Who would have thought he had the capacity to be so tender, so gentle? He didn't have to make her feel so special and safe, she was sure of it. If he'd just wanted to use her for his own pleasure, hers included, she thought she'd know. Wouldn't she?

She glanced over at Kagome and noticed that although the girl's eyes were open now, there was a faraway look to her gaze, something pensive and not quite understood. She leaned closer, her shoulder brushing Kagome's.

"So..." she said, not sure of how to broach the subject.

"Yes," Kagome answered, smiling faintly. "Just...yes, Sango."

The exterminator leaned on her elbows, her dark hair fluttering over her shoulders in the breeze. "I'm not nosy, Kagome. I truly don't want to invade your privacy."

Kagome grinned, looking back at her with dancing eyes. "But you are curious. I seem to recall you not wanting to talk to me about certain subjects."

Sango could dare blush and did so with a duck of her head. "I know, I was just scared you wouldn't understand. So if you don't want to talk, I won't pry."

The other girl sighed, running her hands along the smooth railing. "Actually, I need to talk. You're probably the only one I can talk to, Sango. I feel awkward now, around him. I don't know why."

She tipped back her head and studied the bright sky. It seemed bizarre they'd be worried about things like this when Naraku had just reminded them that there were much more important matters to consider. "You feel awkward? Like you've done something wrong?"

"Not exactly," Kagome confessed. It was hard to put into words, even to Sango. She'd always wished for an older sister, sometimes feeling a bit lonely for such companionship. Souta was so much younger than her; there were a lot of things about her life in the Sengoku Jidai that she just couldn't share. She had no idea if she'd even tell her mother about what had happened with Inuyasha. There was already a lot she had to keep to herself and she wasn't sure what her mother was going to think.

It was one thing to run around with a temperamental half demon, another thing entirely to be sleeping with him.

"Did he...say something?" Sango asked hesitantly. Inuyasha's mouth was a constant source of conflict between him and Kagome, him and everyone else for that matter. Sango fully understood that Sesshomaru, whatever else he was, was the tactful brother. It wouldn't have surprised her to find out that Inuyasha said something extraordinarily stupid at an intimate moment.

"No," Kagome said glumly. "That's just it, he didn't. It was...it didn't go perfectly. I mean," she blushed hard. "We got it figured out eventually, but no, he didn't say anything dumb."

_He cried_, she thought, her whole body flushing. _There were tears on his face and Inuyasha never cries about anything_. She'd been moved by it, touched beyond belief.

"He said he loved me."

Sango couldn't help it, she was thrilled by what Kagome said and reached out to hug the younger girl. "I'm so happy for you," she whispered. "I knew he loved you, I always knew."

"Then why do I feel so weird?" Kagome asked, burying her face in Sango's shoulder. She felt hideously guilty, like she'd failed Inuyasha. Sango sensed her friend's distress and gently pushed Kagome away.

"I think you're just scared," she said quietly. "Are you afraid you don't deserve to be happy? Are you afraid that now that you finally have what you want, something is going to take it away?"

"That's exactly how I feel," Kagome blurted out. "What if something happens? Naraku is still out there, we're always in some kind of danger because of the jewel. What is something happens? What if nothing happens? Will we stay together if I go home? How can we be together if we live in two different worlds? Will...will my family be okay with it? I couldn't stand it if they weren't but I can't just choose who I love best."

"Hush," Sango murmured, rocking Kagome against her. "Don't tear yourself up like that, don't take away the happiness you've got. If there's one thing I understand after losing everything, it's that it's stupid not to appreciate what you have. I made that mistake once, I won't make it again."

"Is that why you want to be with Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, gently breaking their embrace. "Sango, I won't judge, but I worry about you. He's...he can be very scary."

"I know," Sango answered, looking into the distance. The sun glistened gold against the walls, reminding her of his eyes. "I know that, Kagome."

"He tried to kill me once," the girl said softly, not wanting to hurt her friend, but feeling like it needed said. "I've seen him do some awful things to Inuyasha."

Sango didn't answer, just rested her hands on Kagome's. "I know what he is, Kagome. I've always known from the first time. I'm a demon exterminator. I shouldn't love him, but I do."

"Why?"

She shrugged, her arm slipping around Kagome's shoulders. "I'm not sure," she mused. His _touch, his whispers, and the way he calls me from my own soul_. "I'll take whatever he can give me," she said slowly. "I think we need each other."

oOo

Ginta and Hakkaku sat perfectly still. They'd been bullied and dragged by a patrol of four dog demons, cuffed and kicked along the way. Now they found themselves prisoners in some kind of fortress. The whole place stank of inuyoukai, but they were relieved to be still alive.

In fact, Ginta would have thought the dog demons would have dealt them more abuse than they had, instead gruffly ordering them to a small room and slamming the door behind them.

It was the waiting that was hard to take, not knowing why they were being held. There had to be some explanation why they hadn't been killed outright and left to rot in the sun. Dogs didn't have a reputation for being merciful. They could only assume that some kind of torment was waiting in the future.

When the door finally opened, Ginta and Hakkaku felt their hopes for a peaceful or painless end of the matter die. The inuyoukai stared down at them, contempt glittering in his coal-black eyes.

"So," he sneered. "Since when do lowly wolves like yourselves dare invade this territory?"

"We were lost," Hakkaku answered promptly.

"Please forgive us, dog-sama," Ginta added in a contrite voice. It was worth a shot.

The dog demon scowled, his long black hair swinging over his leather-clad shoulders. "You actually expect me to believe that bullshit? You weren't looking for Kouga?"

"He's alive?" Ginta burst out before Hakkaku's elbow rammed into his stomach.

"I mean," he said weakly. "Who's Kouga?"

The inuyoukai snorted, shaking his head. He leaned against the wall and pulled out a sharp dagger, absently cleaning his claws. "Either you know him or you don't," he said, his voice deceptively mild. "What's it going to be, boys?"

"Yeah, we know him," Hakkaku muttered at last, glaring at Ginta. "We were following his scent."

Smirked at them, the inuyoukai started to toss his knife in the air and catch it again with an easy over handed grasp. "I believe you," he answered, noticing the way their eyes followed the blade. "Doesn't mean that makes it any better for you. You're still trespassers here."

"What are you going to do to us?" Ginta asked.

The dog demon caught the blade one last time and fingered the sharp edge. "Haven't quite decided," he said, a playful tone in his voice. "Wolves are lousy, smelly vermin. The only reason you're still alive is I'm pretty sure you'd smell worse dead. What do you think?"

"We'd definitely smell worse dead," Hakkaku answered.

Ginta nodded enthusiastically. "Is Kouga still here?"

The dark haired youkai blinked at him. "I never said he was," he snarled, a threatening glare evolving slowly in his eyes. "How do I know you aren't lying, were you sent to spy on this fortress? Maybe you aren't with Kouga at all, it could be that you work for Naraku."

They gasped, looking horrified. "That freak? Never!"

The inuyoukai darted forward, taking each of the smaller wolf demons by their throats. He shoved them hard into the wall. "Tell me why I should believe you," he snarled viciously. "Give me a reason not to slit you open and I'll think about it."

"Oh Jano, stop it already," a new voice said coldly. An inuyoukai female with braided hair had entered the room, carrying a tray. "You know perfectly well they aren't lying. Quit being such a damn bully."

He dropped them, turning around to glare at the woman. "Makiko, I'm in the middle of an interrogation," he rasped, sounding furious. "Don't interfere. They could be spies."

"They're exhausted, scared and half starved," she snapped, putting her tray down in front of them. Ginta sniffed hopefully, it smelled like food, really good food and his mouth started to water.

The woman glared narrowly at the inuyoukai male. "Can't you find anything better to do with your time?"

The dog demon leaned against the wall, his expression grim. "Not at the moment," he said sullenly, sending an irritated look at the two wolves. "You might as well eat, boys. Makiko will hold you down and force feed you if you don't."

His eyes flicked back to the woman, who was preparing to leave. "We need to talk," he said in a hard tone.

"I have nothing to say to you," she hissed back.

Jano's expression flickered. "Too damn bad, I have things I want to say."

Makiko turned around and went over to him, glaring up at him with pure dislike. "You've said enough and you've done enough. What makes you think anything you have to say will mean a damn thing to me?"

"Depends on what I say," he said in a soft voice, a gentle look in his eyes. She just stood there a moment longer before turning away. "Makiko," he said, catching her arm.

She whirled around, hitting him hard in the face and blood trickled from the long scratches her claws opened in his cheek. "Don't touch me," she snarled. "Don't you ever touch me again!"

Ginta and Hakkaku stared in open-mouthed shock at the angry woman as she stormed away. Jano didn't look angry, just a little sad and thoughtful. The wolves sat still as mice, wondering if he was going react to her words or her blow, if he'd turn and take it out on them. The inuyoukai shook his head suddenly, as if clearing it of depressing thoughts and strode to the door, a fierce smile taking over his face.

As he reached the door, he turned to look at the two vastly confused wolf demons. "She's in love with me, you know." Then he winked and shut the door behind him.

"If that's how dog demons love, I'm surprised any of them get born," Ginta said softly, turning to look at his friend.

Hakkaku grunted. "No kidding."


	27. TwentySeven

_**Chapter TwentySeven**_

Inuyasha scowled, the bright sunshine hurt his eyes when he went outside. His angry expression had more to do with his current company rather than the state of illumination within the fortress itself. Sesshomaru had dismissed them, dismissed him like he was some kind of servant and that only added to the foulness of his mood.

The hanyou growled to himself, wished for the appropriate time and place to finally knock that superior sneer off his brother's face. It was coming; he had it coming that was for damn sure. Inuyasha thought with relish about how it would feel to really get into a knock down fight with his older brother, no damn swords involved.

That pleasant thought being denied to him, all he had right now was a stupid wolf that'd managed to get the snot kicked out of him by Naraku. Kouga looked around him, an impressed expression in place as he looked around the courtyard, getting a feel for the true size and scale of this fortress.

"Damn," the wolf said, scratching the back of his head. "Didn't know you dogs had anything like this. So this is where you're from, huh, mutt-face?"

"No," he muttered, darting a quick glance around in case anyone was spying on them. "This is the first time I've ever been here."

Kouga grinned at him. "Don't like half breeds, do they?"

For some reason he didn't react to Kouga's jibe, just shaking back his white hair and looking away. "Yeah, you could say that."

The wolf raised an eyebrow. _Mutt-face doesn't like it here any more than I do_, he decided. It didn't matter; he had every intention of getting out of this stone walled city as soon as he could. Stay here long enough and he'd start stinking like a dog himself and Kouga grimaced at the idea. Then his eyes fell on a slim figure that had just emerged from a darkened passage, holding her delicate hand up to shade her eyes against the brilliant sunlight. He shot the hanyou a wicked look before bounding over to her.

"Kagome!"

Kagome didn't miss the dark look that crossed Inuyasha's face when the exuberant wolf demon seized her hands and clutched them tight. "Kouga-kun," she said, smiling at him. "I'm so glad you're not badly injured."

"Never fear, my Kagome," he purred, reaching out to cuddle her close. "Nothing could keep me from your side, not even death itself would..." He stopped, sniffing at her hair, her scent had changed, and something was different. Ignoring a soft growl from the hanyou, Kouga buried his nose in her hair, snorting as the glossy black strands tickled his nose.

The mutt's smell was on her, all over her. He frowned, the taste of her smell in his nostrils as he tried to place the strangeness. Mutt-face was always close to her, she should smell of dog, but there was something he couldn't quite place about her scent. A rich, strange combination like the muskiness of woman after...

His eyes went wide, spinning away from Kagome to glare in fury at Inuyasha. "You son of a bitch!"

The wolf still clutched one of Kagome's hands in his, glaring at Inuyasha with pure hatred. "Kouga-kun?" the girl asked, pulling at his wrist. "You're hurting my hand!"

"Get your filthy claws off her," Inuyasha snarled, darting forward to rip Kagome away from the angry wolf. "What the fuck is your problem?"

Kouga was shaking he was so angry. "You bastard, you forced yourself on my Kagome!"

Inuyasha flushed, his face going a dark and furious red. "Nobody forced nobody," he snarled. "It ain't none of your business anyway, wolf!"

"It's my business that you touched my woman!"

Teeth bared, he shoved his face right into Kouga's. "I did a lot more than just touch her," he hissed, his eyes lighting sadistically as he ground the words into Kouga like a dagger. "You got something you wanna say about it?"

Kouga's eyes widened, then narrowed in fury. "I'll fucking kill you!"

"Just try it!" Inuyasha shouted.

They threw themselves at each other, kicking, hitting, punching and clawing like a pair of wild beasts. Kouga and Inuyasha rolled on the courtyard's stone paved floor, furiously tearing at each other and screaming while Kagome looked on in horror.

"Inuyasha!" she cried. "Stop it, Kouga is hurt, you're going to kill him!"

"That's the fucking idea," Inuyasha snarled, getting to his feet with one claw wrapped around Kouga's hair. The wolf wasn't giving up easy and twisted to sink his sharp fangs into Inuyasha's leg. The hanyou howled and dropped him, exactly what Kouga had intended. He struck the hanyou with a fury of hard punches, landing the last one right on Inuyasha's chin.

"That's it," the half-breed snapped, spitting blood. "You are going to die, you fucker!"

"Come and get me, dog-shit," Kouga panted, readying his claws for the next assault. He didn't want to admit it, but he was hurting now. Maybe challenging mutt-face wasn't smart idea at the moment, but what else could a proud wolf do? His woman had been violated by that half-blood excuse for a dog and Kouga intended there to be hell to pay for that.

"Kouga!" Kagome shouted. "Inuyasha! Please stop!" They ignored her, tearing at each other again, blood hitting the smooth gray stones. There were people coming out of the fortress now, Sango and Miroku were running towards her.

"What happened?" Sango wanted to know.

"What always happens?" Kagome answered, covering her eyes in despair. They just couldn't get along, never could, now that Kouga knew that she and Inuyasha were more than just friends, it would only make the conflict worse.

Miroku watched the fistfight for a moment before answering. "Inuyasha will stop soon and Kouga is too hurt to really defend himself much longer. He won't kill him, Kagome."

Inuyasha seemed to have come to the same conclusion, pulling back and wiping the sweat out of his eyes. "You had enough, wolf-turd?"

Kouga glared at him. "Not even started, mangy mutt," he said, leaning his hands on his knees while he got his breath. Does he think I'll back down, the wolf wondered. "I will avenge Kagome's honor," he shouted.

"Kagome's honor," Miroku echoed, a grin breaking over his face. Kagome blushed and wouldn't look at him, confirming what he'd been suspecting. Actually, he'd half listened to the girl's conversation with Sango while drifting in and out of a much-needed rest and guessed about the content.

_About time_, the monk thought in satisfaction.

Of course, that was the problem right now. Miroku watched as Inuyasha and Kouga continued to pummel each other, much to the amusement of several watching inuyoukai. "I hate to be the one to suggest it, Kagome," he said, his voice as mild and light as ever. "Why don't you just put the sit on Inuyasha and end this?"

Her face just had to be flaming, Kagome decided. She took a deep breath and looked at Sango before meeting Miroku's eyes. "I destroyed the rosary."

Sango's jaw dropped. "You did what? Kagome, why on earth..."

Kagome stamped her foot. "Sango!" she exclaimed, looking at her pleadingly.

She jumped when Miroku patted her shoulder. "I understand," he said softly, nodding at Sango. The exterminator's face softened, as she too comprehended the depth of what had transpired between her friend and their irascible hanyou companion.

"It's about trust," she murmured, seeing the gratitude in Kagome's eyes at her words. "I understand."

"Then help me," Kagome begged. "Help me stop this before it goes too far. Kouga's an idiot, he doesn't understand. And Inuyasha, well, you know how he is!"

"Right," Sango said grimly, glad suddenly that she was wearing her exterminator uniform. It was time to knock some heads together and she actually felt a strange eagerness to be the one to do it.

"I'll take Inuyasha," she said, looking at Kagome's puzzled expression. "He's stronger and you have better chance than me of holding back Kouga. We just have to pry them apart so they can cool down."

Kagome nodded curtly and ran into the melee, grabbing hold of one of Kouga's arms. "Stop it, Kouga!"

He tried to push her away but she clung to him anyway. "Don't worry, Kagome. I'll protect you from him," the wolf snarled, trying to fight his way past the girl.

"Get out of the way, Kagome!" Inuyasha looked pissed, holding off on his blows because of her nearness. "He's got it fucking coming, you know it!"

The hanyou staggered suddenly, finding a demon exterminator on his back. Sango had jumped him from behind, locking her forearms across his neck. "Damn it, Inuyasha! Don't be such a stubborn ass, just stop it already!"

"Get off my back!" he howled, trying to shake her off without hurting her. Sango clamped down on him with her legs, only to have Kouga dart forward to sink a hard fist into the hanyou's stomach.

"Kagome," she yelled, her mouth full of flying white hair. "Control that stupid wolf!"

"Who you calling stupid?" Kouga was delighted by the assistance and came forward again, kicking Inuyasha in the ribs. Kagome launched herself onto his back, mirroring Sango's move in trying to hold back the angry wolf demon.

"Kouga, please," she wailed. "Can't we talk this out?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Kouga snapped, avoiding a quick and vicious strike from Inuyasha's claws. The exterminator on his back was slowing him down, keeping him off balance. Kouga instinctively spun around to avoid the sharp claws and Kagome squealed in fright.

"That was my skirt, Inuyasha!"

"Sorry," he yelled back. "That fucking wolf keeps moving! Just stand still and die like a demon, you shit. Don't hide behind a girl like the coward you are."

"I ain't no coward and you're going to pay for what you did to my Kagome!" the wolf howled, jumping into the air to kick Inuyasha again. This time the hanyou just barely moved out of the way, deflecting the full force of the blow with his arm, but Kouga's foot went over his shoulder and hit Sango hard in the mouth.

"Watch it!" she shouted, clenching her fists in Inuyasha's tangled white locks.

"Stop pulling my hair, bitch," he snapped, going into a crouch with her still attached to his back. A small form darted in front of him, squalling like a baby dragon.

"You hit Sango!" Rin shouted, clamping onto Kouga's leg. She buried her small teeth in his flesh and snarled angrily. Kouga went to swat her away but Kagome grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back.

"Kouga, she's just a little girl!"

"She's biting me," he cried, trying to shake her off since Kagome wouldn't let him hit the kid. Inuyasha took advantage of the distraction to move in close and hammer the wolf's torso with a series of quick hard punches.

"Pay attention when I'm beating your ass," the hanyou shouted joyfully.

"Inuyasha, stop it," Kagome begged. "Don't hurt Kouga, he doesn't understand!"

"Like I give a fuck," he snarled, moving in for the kill. Even with Sango plastered to his back, he knew he was more than a match for a beaten up wolf that didn't know when to keep his yap shut. A ball of fur suddenly attacked his head, blinding him with tiny sharp claws in his face. "Shippou, damn you, what are you doing?"

"Kagome said stop, you're going to stop," the kitsune growled, wrapping his arms around Inuyasha's neck to hold on.

"I'm going to kill you for this, you damn runt!"

"Inuyasha! You will not hurt Shippou!"

"Out of the way, fox! I want to see his face before I cave it in with my fists!"

"Damn it, Kagome! Can't you hold that wolf back?"

"You hit Sango, I'll kill you!"

"Stop biting my leg, you human brat!"

Miroku was leaning against the wall, watching the strange confrontation with an air of amused glee. There was no way in hell he was going in there, a monk had to be circumspect. A puzzled looking guard came up beside him, his jaw hanging open in shock.

"What are they doing to each other?" Shiou asked, frowning as he watched the chaos unfolding in the courtyard.

"Oh, nothing to worry about," the monk assured him. "It's personal, hardly your duty to interfere."

"I dunno about that," Shiou answered doubtfully. Jano's orders said no one was to harm the humans, but he wasn't quite sure if that applied if they were hurting each other. Or if the hanyou-sama and the strange wolf demon should be held back too. He didn't like the idea of getting involved either, the lord's mate was in the middle of that and Shiou felt queasy at the very idea of being the one involved when Sesshomaru-sama found out.

"I should probably go get Jano-san," he muttered, scratching at his head.

"You do that," Miroku murmured, contently watching as Kouga managed to punch Inuyasha right in the nose, having momentarily dislodged the kitsune. "I'm very sure that Jano-san would regret missing this."

Shiou turned to go, but found it unnecessary as Jano himself had shown up in the courtyard, leading a pair of intimidated looking wolf demons. "Kouga!" one of the shouted happily.

"What the hell?" Jano was staring at the wild contorted mess in the middle of the courtyard. "Hey, you fucking idiots," he growled, throwing himself into the middle of it.

He planted one hand on Inuyasha's chest and the other on Kouga's, bracing his legs to hold them apart. Luckily for him, they were both getting tired with the extra work of fighting so encumbered. "Any of you morons want to tell me what the fuck is going on?" he growled.

"Get out of the way, Jano," Inuyasha snarled, still reaching for the wolf's throat. "It will be over in a minute."

"Yeah," Kouga hissed back, trying to swat the bodyguard's arm away. "Over for you, mutt-face!"

Whatever Jano thought he might say to put an end to the hostilities died in his throat when a bucket of ice-cold water hit him right in the face. It was promptly followed by three more, one after the other, until everyone involved was soaked and no one was throwing punches anymore.

He glared at Makiko's defiantly pleased expression. "Was that absolutely necessary?"

"I cannot permit such uncivilized behavior in the courtyard," she said primly, handing her empty bucket to a maid.

Jano snorted water out of his nose and flipped his wet hair out of his eyes. "I was trying to stop them, you could have waited another minute. I would have taken care of it."

She raised an eyebrow and gestured to one of her people to take the empty buckets back to the kitchen. Sango let go of Inuyasha to drop back on her feet, wiping her face. _That water was unbelievably cold_, she thought with a shiver. But she couldn't deny Makiko's tactics; it had brought the fistfight to a standstill.

Kagome released Kouga to circle around him, neatly placing her body between Kouga and Inuyasha. "Kouga," she said in her gentlest voice. "You're still injured, please sit down. We can talk about this and everything will be fine."

To her surprise he wrapped a possessive arm around her. "You say the word and I'll take you out of here, Kagome," he said, growling at Inuyasha. "You don't ever have to see that dog again."

_Moron_, she thought, gently removing his arm from her shoulders. She glanced back at Inuyasha, who was also growling and clenching his fists. She winced at the dark look in his eyes.

"Please," she said, begging him. "Just stop already, Inuyasha. I'm sick of being fought over like this."

He glowered at her, Kagome felt a chill run up her back when she realized how angry he really was. Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest and turned away. "It's your own fucking fault, Kagome," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "If you didn't keep encouraging that stupid wolf, he would have given up by now."

"That's not true," she protested. Kagome went over to him to put her hand on his shoulder, but he pushed her away like she was diseased. His eyes were glittering with anger, a suffused expression fury still marring his face.

"It is true," he hissed. "And I'm sick of him sniffing around you like you're a bitch in heat. You think he's your friend or some garbage like that, but Kouga's a wolf demon. Ask him if he's just after your friendship or if he's just hoping you'll give in and let him nail you like one of his wolf bitches."

Now she was angry too. "Do you have to be so crude? I already told you how I feel about you. Kouga has nothing to do with it. I'm not going to just sit here and watch you two beat each other up. It makes me sick."

"It makes me sick the way you defend him all the time," Inuyasha muttered. "He'd have been dead a long time ago if you didn't keep interfering."

"The hell I would have," Kouga snapped, annoyed. "I love Kagome, I'd do anything for her. And I'd never call her a stupid bitch, she deserves better than you, you mangy dog!"

"Out of the way, Kagome," Inuyasha hissed. "This is between me and him, nobody else."

Jano was completely fed up with the whole bunch of them. "If you two have to prove something to each other, that's fine by me. But you aren't doing it here. Take it out of the fortress, if I have to listen to any more of you two I'm going to lock you both up until you can calm down."

"Fine by me," Kouga snapped.

"Me too," Inuyasha snarled. "I hate this fucking place anyway."

"Then you are free to leave," a cold voice said, making the air itself quiver with suppressed anger. Sesshomaru was striding across the courtyard, his long pale hair fluttering behind him. "I never wanted you here in the first place, Inuyasha. Nor did I want a lowly wolf demon, I suggest you heed Jano's advice and take your dispute out of this fortress. Go back to the wilderness where you belong, it's appropriate for an animal like yourself."

"Sounds good to me," his half brother snapped. "I'd rather be out in the wilds than have to suffer through another day around you."

"You have one hour to get out of here. One minute longer and I won't spare your life again."

Inuyasha laughed harshly. "I'm gone and I don't need you to spare me anything. Naraku's out there and he's plotting something. Just because you don't give a damn if he's slaughtering whole villages of defenseless people doesn't mean I'm going to sit around here like some lapdog and let him get away with it."

"Villages?" Kagome asked in horror. "When did this happen?"

"Ask Kouga," he sneered, his eyes glinting in the brilliant sunlight. "Not that he gives a damn either, but Naraku has some new damn monster to play with that likes killing humans for sport."

Her eyes flicked back to the wolf demon, who shrugged nonchalantly. "It's true, we found at least one village that had been torn apart. Whatever did it took their time in doing it too." He noticed the stricken, angry look on Kagome's face and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

"Don't worry," he murmured in her ear. "I'll always protect you, don't even think about it."

She shoved the wolf away, making Inuyasha's ears prick up in surprise. "I have to think about it," the girl said angrily. "I care that he's murdering people, we have to stop him no matter what the cost."

Miroku nodded firmly. "Absolutely. As much as I have appreciated the hospitality of Sesshomaru-sama's people," he paused when Inuyasha gave an amused snort, "we have our own agenda and a duty to protect innocents from Naraku."

Sesshomaru smiled faintly. "Let me not keep you from that duty, monk. By all means, leave this place."

Sango nodded sharply, agreeing with his words. "We have to go, I can't stand by and let Naraku kill people. He's almost completed the sacred jewel which means he's more powerful than ever." She turned to go back to her room and retrieve Hiraikotsu, pleased to be able to get back to their goal of destroying the evil monster, but Sesshomaru's voice stopped her cold.

"You will not be going with them."

"Excuse me?"

He didn't look her way, instead studying the stone walls as if they had become endlessly fascinating. "You will stay here, I have made my decision. I will not have my mate wandering the countryside looking for that abomination."

Sango felt like all the air had been sucked out of her chest, she couldn't breathe. "Sesshomaru," she whispered, going to him and touching his arm. "I have to go. I am a demon exterminator, and it's my duty."

"It was your duty," he said in an icy, inflectionless voice. "It is no longer your duty to be concerned with lowly villages or Naraku's plans. Your place is here."

Silence reigned over the courtyard, even Kouga and Inuyasha were frozen in place, watching as Sango absorbed the knowledge that Sesshomaru had no intention of letting her leave. The girl's face was pale, a muscle in her cheek jumped as she swallowed hard. It had never occured to her that he wouldn't let her leave.

After everything they had been to each other, everything they had experienced, it was difficult for her to accept that he would treat her as a possession with no will or volition of her own.

"I have to go," she repeated.

Sesshomaru looked down at his mate. "I would also like for you to refrain from wearing that garment," he said coolly, looking at her tight black leggings and polished armor. "It is unseemly for you to dress this way, far below your current station in my household. Makiko will provide you with more appropriate clothing, but I never want to see you dressed as such again."

The girl's eyes were wide. _He does think of me as a possession,_ she thought dismally. She had been so sure she'd touched that cold heart, woke him from the icy detachment that was his mask. "I'm sorry," she murmured, not wanting to confront him so in such a public place. "I took a vow to avenge my family."

Sesshomaru stared at her, fixing her with his molten gaze. "No longer. I have chosen to take you as my mate; your only obligation is to do as I will. I will slay Naraku, then your family will be avenged."

The demon lord turned and started to walk away, confident that the issue had been resolved. He could certainly understand his mate's desire for revenge, her bravery and willingness to fight for what she believed in. Her fiery spirit was what attracted him to her, in spite of her human heritage. However, his decision was final, he would not have her wandering after his brother like a common foot soldier that had no place and no home. He had given her those and Sesshomaru wasn't about to let her risk her person or his unborn offspring by engaging in battle with the filthy likes of Naraku.

Sango had gone pale at his words, now she felt an incandescent fury building. _I'm not his plaything_, she thought stubbornly. _I'm not something he can order around like a servant and expect obedience_. As much as she wanted to be with him, Sango's knees went weak when she thought of trying to live without him, she couldn't let her family's murderer continue to work his evil unopposed.

And she couldn't let her friends go off to fight him without her. What if they were hurt or killed, she'd never be able to live with the thought that if only she had been there, they might have been saved. The past two years had forged an incredible bond between them; it wasn't something she could throw aside lightly.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" He turned to look at his mate, noticing the flush to her cheeks and the snap in her eyes. It only made her lovelier. Sango bowed her head, looking at her hands. "I apologize, but I am going with my friends."

She dared to defy him like this. Sesshomaru looked at her coldly. "No."

Ignoring her friends' stares and the curiosity of the inuyoukai surrounding them, Sango shook her head. "I'm leaving, with or without your permission. I don't want to, but I have to do this."

"You will not," he hissed, his expression flickering from icy indifference to anger. "It is my will you stay here."

Her eyes blazed at him. "I thought you of all people would understand why I have do to this. I am an exterminator and I can take care of myself. Why shouldn't I leave?"

"You are carrying my child," he said coldly, watching her face.

Sango just stood there, his words echoing in her mind. _Your child_, she thought, feeling the air turn to sludge in her lungs, her knees turning to jelly. She wanted to sit down, she wanted to fall to her knees from the surprise of it, but all she did was press the palm of her hand over her belly.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, her nerves starting to tingle from the thrill of knowledge his words gave her. Her eyes lifted to his. "You're sure?"

Sesshomaru didn't like being questioned or defied and now she had done both and done so in front of his people and even his brother. "Of course," he said, biting the words off like mouthfuls of ice. "I intended it to be so. As a daiyoukai, I can choose when I impregnate a female. You are carrying my child because I chose that you do so."

Something about his tone made her back go rigid, again he was acting as if he owned her and she was his possession. And while Sango had reveled in the idea of belonging somewhere, of belonging to someone who cherished her as Sesshomaru had, she couldn't help but resist the overwhelming desire to bend to his will.

"You intended for me to have your child?" she asked, not missing the slight annoyance in his eyes. "You didn't ask me how I felt about it."

He stared at her, how could her feelings matter? Could it be that she didn't want to bear his child, could it be that she somehow rejected him, Sesshomaru, and the life he had given her? "I saw no need to ask your opinion," he said harshly.

The coldness of his words shocked her, Sango's lips parted and her breath coming in short pants of distress. "How can you say that?" she murmured, her eyes starting to burn. "You don't care at all how I feel?"

Sesshomaru turned away. "I have taken you as mate, I have given you my child," he said, letting the frozen mask drop over his face. He would not think for a moment of her rejecting him or his child. It was insufferable, she was human and he had allowed her to conceive his child.

"I will not tolerate your defiance in this matter. Go and change your garments and bid your friends goodbye. That is my will."

She shook her head, more out of surprise than really denying anything. He saw the movement and scowled, turning swiftly to stand over her, his eyes glittering with threats. "You dare to reject me, your mate?"

"I...I didn't..." she stammered backing away from him. "I just think you should have told me, given me a choice. Naraku is still out there, I can't stay here and have babies. I'm a demon exterminator; it's what I was born to do. I have to stop him, I have to protect innocent people from him."

"And these nameless innocents are more important to you than your mate and child?" he asked incredulously. "I would give you a home and a place at my side, you would throw that away? You would dare reject what I've offered to protect miserable peasants from an abomination?"

He thought he had never been so angry in his life; it took all of his considerable will to stop himself from lashing out at her. _Reject him_, he seethed. How did she dare?

"Please," she murmured, reaching out to touch him. "Understand. I need to do this or I won't be able to live with myself. Or you."

His head came up, a dangerous look in his eyes. "I see." She had never loved him. "You must go."

How could he have believed her, a mere human? She knew about the true depth of youkai feelings, didn't understand that by declaring her his mate, he had turned his back on all of his previously held beliefs. There would be ramifications, consequences that would ripple the balance of power within his territories. It was not done lightly nor done on a whim.

It was nothing less than his open declaration of his feelings for her and she would reject that? For the chance to protect mere worthless villagers, to slay a filthy abomination like Naraku?

"I understand."

Her face showed relief, a relief that didn't touch him or lessen the ice in his gaze. "I'm so glad you understand," she breathed, her spine relaxing.

How could she miss the way he was withdrawing from her, he wondered. Was she truly so oblivious? He had made a grave mistake, he decided, when he'd guessed that her human feelings in some way meshed with his demon instincts.

A strange sensation was filling his heart. Pain, true emotional pain, something he'd held himself above throughout his lifetime. Anger chased the pain, fury that he had allowed her so close as to hurt him, a youkai lord of power. It was humiliating, devastating, and he felt the rock of his ego tremble under his feet. He had let her make him weak.

Of course a demon exterminator would reject a child of youkai blood. It made logical sense, every bit as much sense as his hatred for humans. They were too different and now Sesshomaru found himself facing a failed experiment and hated himself for being so weak as to have desired her. Why had he ever allowed her to become important to him? He didn't need her, he didn't need anyone.

None of his turmoil touched his face and he stepped away from her, withdrawing into the ice lord again, forcing his heart to quiet and shoving the memories of her passion from his mind. She was a detested human; an inferior breed and he had been tricked into combining his seed with her base mortality. It was wrong, every bit as wrong as what his father had done when he sacrificed his life for a human woman and a hanyou child who would never even know his face.

"You have my permission to leave this fortress, exterminator," he said at last, not looking at her. Looking anywhere but at her because if he studied her face, he wasn't sure he was going to let her live after what she'd done to him. Made him want her, made him weak with desire for human flesh, and now made him a fool in front of his own people.

He would not lower himself to strike the woman he had called mate, nor the woman who carried his child within her weak human flesh. He had that much dignity left, pride and daiyoukai will were all he needed. She didn't love him and he sure as hell didn't love her, it was over and that was all he needed to know.

"Sesshomaru?" her voice was soft, still compelling him, damn her to hell. She would not manipulate him further, he resolved that.

"You have my permission to leave," he said again, his voice as empty as the void in his soul. The place where he'd wanted her to stay. "And do not bother to return, our ill-advised liaison is at an end. You are nothing to me now."

Sango stared at him in shock, his words crumbling inside her, her heart screaming in sheer agony. "No," she whispered, tears sliding over her cheeks. "You can't mean that."

"I can and I will," he snarled, his eyes going suddenly crimson. "I regret any hint of kindness I may have shown you, I regret ever lowering myself to touch you, human. You have been an amusement, nothing more. I am no longer amused with you now."

Her shoulders were shaking, silent sobs tearing her apart inside. Sango's tears were falling freely, splashing onto the stony floor of the courtyard; she could feel hundreds of eyes upon her. Rejection. Humiliation. Anger. She had no way of knowing that her feelings were being mirrored on the inside of the cold inhuman lord before her.

"I don't believe you!" She ran forward, desperate to catch him, find a way to make him understand that her duty didn't mean her rejection of him, how he had become everything to her and that didn't change because of what she had sworn to do. She would come back to him, gladly bear his children; she needed to make him understand.

Sesshomaru wouldn't strike her, but he knew if he let her touch him now he wouldn't be able to resist his darker instincts. He raised his palm as she flung herself at him, crying his name. A bright flash, the sound of her human body being flung back and to the ground by his youki.

"You have one hour," he ground out, controlling himself with an effort. "One hour to leave this valley or I will not be merciful to you, human. Do not think that you can toy with this Sesshomaru. Do not force me to end your life today."

Sango didn't move when he left, leaving her lying on the ground with half the fortress' population staring at her. It was too much, she couldn't stand it. He might as well have killed her, it wouldn't have hurt this bad. She had never meant anything to him, she was nothing more than a whim that had now displeased him, something used and ready to be thrown away.

Her body had curled into a tight ball, sobs wracking her frame as she twisted under the knowledge that she'd given her heart to something heartless, something evil and cold. She heard Kagome calling her name, felt the girl's hands on her body, trying to make her snap out of it. Sango pushed herself up and looked into Kagome's grieving face for a long moment before she buried her head in the other girl's lap, muffling her devastated cries of loss in Kagome's soft green skirt.


	28. TwentyEight

_**Chapter TwentyEight**_

He paused, listening. Inuyasha sniffed the air, glancing back at his companions. "Get ready," he muttered. "It's coming."

It burst out of the trees, snarling and slavering. _Ugly bastard_, Inuyasha thought, looking up at the hulking swollen creature. It had the grossly distended body of a slug, but sporting three equally ugly heads. Drool spilled from their mouths as they all shrieked insanely, and Inuyasha winced when he was literally sprayed with stinking saliva.

"Keh, where do these things come from anyway?"

It wasn't particularly powerful even, just big, ugly and mean. _No problem, short work for Tessaiga_, he thought, grinning to himself as he pulled the rusted blade from its sheath. The katana pulsed, coming to life in his hand and transforming into the massive fang that was its true shape. "This won't even be much of a fight," he smirked, getting ready to take all three heads at once.

"Hiraikotsu!"

Inuyasha spun around just in time to duck out of the way as Sango's huge boomerang nearly clipped the top of his head. Hiraikotsu spun gracefully through the air, neatly decapitating two of the three heads. He dove to the side as the demon exterminator barreled past him, her sword drawn and screaming a battle cry.

"Goddamnit," he muttered. "Not again."

He shoved Tessaiga back in its sheath, not even bothering to look back as Sango attacked the monster. The girl moved like lightning, slicing the hell out of the poor thing, ignoring its shrieks and wails of agony. Stinking green blood splattered the ground, offending his sensitive nose and Kagome squealed as she ran for cover. It was grisly; Sango wasn't so much exterminating the hapless demon as much as she was hacking it to bits.

Miroku caught Inuyasha's eye and shook his head. "Just let her go," the monk advised, fiddling the prayer beads wrapped around his wrist. As soon as Sango finished her battle he'd clear away the mess. Something that foul would only grow fouler if left to rot and the innocent creatures of the forest shouldn't have to be the ones to suffer the stench.

They'd been traveling for three days, heading for the last known location of Naraku's newest monster. Miroku and Kagome wanted to see the village that Kouga had told them about, believing that it might have some clue about the monster's real origins. Inuyasha didn't see the point, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he was about to be drafted into grave digging duty once again.

Every time they found human victims of Naraku or some other evil demon, he was put to work in laying whatever remains to rest. He failed to see how burying the bodies or saying a few whispered words over them in any way made a difference. Miroku said it was just his practical youkai nature to think that way, Kagome said he was an insensitive clod. Either way, Inuyasha remained cautiously optimistic.

According to Kouga, the slaughter had taken place several days ago and Inuyasha thought that the local scavengers and carrion eaters should have taken care of whatever had been left of the village. It wasn't a pleasant thought, in fact it made even him a little queasy, but there were plenty of creatures out there not too proud to feast on human flesh.

At least he'd gotten rid of the goddamn wolf. Kouga and his friends had trailed them all the way across the valley, ostensibly protecting Kagome from attackers. His stomach got all tight and twisted when he thought of the way she'd let that stinking wolf take her hands and once again profess his neverending devotion.

"I have to leave you now, my Kagome," Kouga said, squeezing her hands. Inuyasha rumbled darkly in his throat, Kouga had exactly two seconds to drop those hands before he lost his own fingers. The wolf pretended not to notice Inuyasha's threatening glare and smiled sweetly at Kagome.

"Whatever happened between you and mutt-face," he began, "I just want you to know it doesn't change my feelings for you."

"Uh," Kagome said, trying discreetly to tug her fingers free from his. Dedication was all very nice, she thought wryly as Kouga continued to mash her hands between his own. "That's...that's very mature of you, Kouga-kun."

She couldn't exactly blame Inuyasha for being angry, it had always upset him when Kouga touched her. Why didn't it seem to matter a damn to either of them that she didn't return the wolf's feelings? Were they both that blinded by their jealous rivalry of each other?

Kagome just sighed and finally managed to free her hands from the ardent wolf demon. "Where are you going now?"

He scowled. "I'm going after Naraku, I'm not going to let him use me for his messenger boy. And I want a piece of that son of a bitch that hit me, we've got a score to settle."

"Yeah and he settled it all over your ugly face," Inuyasha sneered. He'd had just about enough of the wolf's boasting. He was actually happy as hell to be out of that damn stone pile of a fortress, hell and away from his damn brother. Just like he'd predicted, Sesshomaru had shown his true face to Sango at last. He didn't know why his icicle of a brother had played his game on the girl like that, but it made him sick just thinking of it.

And she was pregnant? What the fuck? The world had turned upside down; nothing was ever going to be normal again. Sesshomaru had for some unknown reason deliberately fathered a half human child that was now growing inside of a youkai exterminator. Had the universe gone insane? Inuyasha prided himself on not being a particularly deep thinker; things were much less complicated when you just did what your instincts told you to do and didn't question it.

But damn, it was going to bother him until he got it all sorted out. Sesshomaru hated humans. That was a fact. Then he started fucking Sango and shot that whole theory to hell. Maybe it was just a simple attraction, maybe his brother decided to see if he was missing out on something, hell if he knew. He thought he'd understood it at that point, hoping Sango wasn't going to be too heartbroken when Sesshomaru finally got tired of playing with her. But to father a child with her?

That staggered the hanyou, if nothing else he'd been sure that Sesshomaru thought there was nothing fouler on the face of the earth than half-breeds like himself. Didn't he hate Inuyasha for his human blood? Didn't he wish aloud that their father had never lowered himself to conceive offspring with a human mother? It made no sense, he couldn't figure it out and it was giving him a headache.

"Aren't you fucking done yet?" he snarled over his shoulder at her. Sango had the slug-beast down, it was quite dead in his opinion, but she was still stabbing hell out of it with both her sword and a long dagger. She was covered in gore; greenish black blood smeared her face.

"Give it a rest!" he shouted.

"I think the demon is sufficiently deceased for now, Sango," Miroku said calmly, having settled on a fallen log to rest his feet. Ever since they'd left Sesshomaru's territory, it had been one attack after another. The more they pressed into the deep forest, the more oni and lower youkai they met. All running away from...something.

That fact was not lost on the monk; it sent a foreboding chill up his spine. Not that they'd met anything truly threatening, these were minor demons at best. It didn't matter; he was starting to feel a little sorry for Inuyasha. Every time they ran across something worthy of killing, Sango had beaten him to it.

Not that Miroku minded that much; he'd always thought she was at her loveliest when fighting a pitched battle. Exertion brought a flush to her cheeks and a sparkle to her eyes. She was indeed a thing of beauty when she fought, swinging Hiraikotsu gracefully through the air, nimbly leaping over obstacles in her pursuit of prey.

Except at moment she was covered head to toe in slimy, sticky demon guts and the sparkle in her eye had turned to a manic gleam. There was something feral and vicious about the way she'd been slaughtering the monsters that had come her way. Even if they'd run, especially if they'd run, she'd still hunted them down with a grim anger that was nothing like the Sango he'd come to know and cherish.

_It was Sesshomaru's fault_, the monk thought darkly, his fists clenching unconsciously as he thought of the chill demon lord. Miroku had been stunned when Sesshomaru had humiliated and rejected Sango in front of his entire fortress. He'd expected something like this to happen when they left, realizing by then that inuyoukai were possessive and passionate creatures. He had the bruises to prove it and he'd wondered to himself if the youkai prince was going to be amenable to his chosen companion's vocation.

The monk had come to terms with the fact that he was still more than a little in love with her, more than a little hurt by the fact that his feelings weren't returned. However, he had decided to be mature and supportive of the relationship. Sango had seen so little happiness in her life since they'd known her; he couldn't deny Sesshomaru had made the girl glow with loving adoration.

It was not himself. As disappointed as he was about the fact, Miroku would never deny Sango the chance for love, even with someone like Sesshomaru. Now that it was over and the demon had emotionally brutalized her by coldly ordering her out of his life...

He shook his head, if he continued that train of thought he was going to find himself marching back to that fortress to suck Sesshomaru into a void as black and cold as the demon's own soulless heart. It wasn't Sango's fault; he knew how deeply the girl felt about her duty as an exterminator. It wasn't something she could just lay aside like an old kimono that had gone out of style.

It was her heart, it was her passion, and it was her reason for fucking continuing to live after what Naraku had done to her! Miroku found his teeth had clenched again and if he didn't distract himself he was going to join Sango in her mutilation of the slug's corpse.

He was, quite frankly, pissed as hell at having to leave. There was no one to blame for what had happened but Inuyasha and Kouga. You'd think even those two would have sense enough to put their arguments aside for the moment, but no, they had to go and get in yet another pissing contest. Miroku shook his head, wondering about what hanyou and wolf demons used for brains. Kouga seriously needed to give up his obsession with Kagome. It was getting creepy.

And the girl had given her heart, and more, to Inuyasha. Couldn't he show some grace and know when to give up on a woman that obviously didn't love him, who had rejected his proposals, who didn't like being touched or grabbed whenever he saw her?

The monk's eyes widened suddenly as he followed the thought to its logical conclusion and he slunk down on the log and rested his head in his hands. Kouga wasn't the only idiot it seemed.

Kagome felt about as miserable as she could, watching as Sango kept carving up the dead youkai. The back of her throat was tight and her heart felt clenched. Shippou had watched Sango for a few moments before burying his face in Kagome's chest.

"I hate seeing her like this," he whispered.

"Me too," she answered and wished for the hundredth time there was something she could do. "Sango," she said, putting the kitsune aside so that she could approach the exterminator. "Sango, please," the girl murmured, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You're starting to scare me."

It seemed as if her voice reached the other girl because Sango abruptly stopped herself, standing over the dead beast and shaking as both her katana and her long dagger continued to drip with blood. Her breath came in short, hard pants, her shoulders trembling with exertion. She'd lost herself for a few moments; all she'd felt was fury, something inside her snarling and raging for release. She hadn't meant to keep going like that, she'd thought she'd stop once she'd killed it.

Something had felt so satisfying about the way her katana had plunged over and over into the body. The blood stank, clinging to her hair and arms, smearing her with a sickening essence of death. And she'd reveled in it as she'd never done before. Although she'd always had pride for her abilities, enjoyed the hours of hard training her skills required, she'd never liked killing things. It was a grim part of her duty that brought her no pleasure, the only enjoyment she'd ever derived from slaying demons was the relief and gratitude of those she'd helped.

Her body was a tool, shaped by her father's teachings, her own long years of practice. It did what was required of it and Sango felt the satisfaction of knowing that some humans would sleep safely that night, untroubled and protected by the honor of the demon exterminators.

As a profession, it wasn't exactly glamorous; her father had flatly told her that most villages were too poor to pay much for their help. Sometimes it was thankless, hours of tracking the monsters to their lairs, destroying their nests and young before they could breed into more horrible things. Still, she was proud of her heritage, her family. It was a noble thing, a selfless thing to dedicate yourself to others.

Maybe a tiny part of her heart regretted that she hadn't had the carefree life of a young girl when she was growing up. Her perspective was that someone had to be the one to defend the weak; someone had to be the one to fight the things that lurked in darkness. She sighed heavily and looked up at the sky, not finding answers but quieting the tremble in her limbs.

Her hands had stopped shaking, she glad of that. The fury of whatever had taken her had receded and her nose wrinkled in disgust at the rank gore clinging to her body. She carefully wiped first the katana, then the dagger on the slightly sodden hide of the beast she'd slain. Her father had been rigorous about teaching her to care for her gear, realizing that many times his daughter would be on her own, out in the field and far from the village. Just because she no longer had a village to go back to was no reason for her to get sloppy.

How she wished for it, sometimes she still had dreams that she went home, walked through the gates of her village and everything was fine. She'd wave to her friends and her cousins, smiling at the others who had known her for her entire life. The dream gave her a feeling of safety and security, a sense of belonging. And the dream always ended the same, seeing her little brother come running up to her with his arms thrown wide for an embrace and that's how she knew that it was okay, that she was home.

She'd never thought to feel that way outside of dreams again. But he'd made her feel it. Feel loved, feel security and the wonder of another's tight embrace. Made her feel that her body was made just for pleasure, not for toil or killing, not the instrument of duty that she'd honed it into. Just a vessel for love, something beautiful in spite of its scars and capable of more than just the duty she'd been born to. She'd expected to carry on the family tradition, perfect her skills over and over, and train others to do the same.

She'd never expected to fall in love, not with a cruel demon prince.

She'd never expected to have his child.

Whirling around with a snarl of rage on her lips, she attacked the corpse again, this time kicking one of the heads until the skull bones fractured and more blood oozed from its shattered mouth. "You bastard!" she screamed, crushing it with her angry foot. "You son a bitch! I hate you, I fucking hate you! Why did you do this to me?"

_Tears were pouring down her face and she doesn't even realize it_, Kagome thought, watching as Sango renewed her assault. It made her heart ache. Miroku was studiously not looking at Sango either and Inuyasha was perched on the limb of a tree, an angry, helpless look on his face as he watched the young exterminator vent her rage. He watched as Kagome slowly approached her, taking Sango's shoulders and forcing her to turn away from the dead monster.

Sango leaned her head against Kagome and her gory fists clenched convulsively as she refused to give to her urge to wail and sob in her pain.

oOo

Kohaku didn't know what to say, he was frozen in shock and for a minute, he really didn't think at all. His mind still went blank like that now and then; he guessed it was from Naraku's tampering with his memories. Kohaku didn't mention it to anyone because it didn't matter to him. He liked the blank feeling sometimes; it was comforting and easy to just turn your back on painful memories.

He didn't want to think about what had just seen. Sesshomaru had hurt his sister. Part of him really didn't understand what was going on, he had tried to accept the fact that his older sister was in love with a youkai. It still seemed wrong, but if he made her happy, Kohaku couldn't complain as he wanted more than anything for his sister to be happy and lift the sadness from her eyes.

She wasn't happy now.

Rin's small hand slipped into his cold one, warming the numbness that was eating away at his flesh. _That touch was real_, he thought, letting her warm fingers pull him slowly back into awareness. On an instinctive level, the little girl wanted to comfort him. She didn't understand why Sesshomaru-sama hurt people sometimes, as beautiful as he was, it didn't make sense. Why would he want to do the things he did?

Kohaku didn't understand either, but his mind started aching with the knowledge. The demon had rejected her, told her to leave. The idea hurt Kohaku in the same way as a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. And now his sister was pregnant, she was going to have his child and still Sesshomaru told her never to come back to him.

The boy found himself scowling, angry and hurt. Sesshomaru had lied; he did not respect Sango, no more than he respected anyone's life. He was a pure youkai and Kohaku knew what that meant and what needed to be done.

Their father was dead, Sango had no one else to speak for her or defend her. It would have to be him.

Kohaku yanked his hand away from Rin, seeing the little girl's concerned face. Not for the first time he thought she looked older than her years. She was as playful and rambunctious as any girl her age that had been given the run of a youkai's fortress. He could see there was something darker in her eyes sometimes, something like unpleasant memories of her own.

Kohaku didn't like to talk about his past and neither did Rin. They understood each other very well about that.

He looked at the scene in the middle of the courtyard, Kagome still trying to comfort Sango while Miroku, Inuyasha and Kouga refused to look at each other. The youkai were walking around at the edges, giving the small cluster of strangers wary looks and withdrawing. Makiko had turned on her heel and went back to the fortress' kitchen, a determined set to her shoulders. Sesshomaru himself had disappeared up a tall stairway, gone with a flutter of snow-white fur and anger.

Taking a deep breath, the young exterminator started for that stair, knowing that he was going to do a very stupid thing, but his conscience, such as was left of it, wouldn't let him do otherwise.

A heavy hand on his shoulder made him stop before he could start up the stairs after the demon lord. Kohaku looked up and over his shoulder, meeting Jano's dark gaze and not being particularly surprised.

"Don't," the bodyguard said, his face expressionless but his voice gentle.

"I have to," he said, not flinching away from Jano's gaze.

Frowning, Jano pulled him away from the stairs and into a dark passage. "If you think getting yourself killed is going to help your sister, you're wrong," Jano said evenly. "She needs you to be there for her."

Kohaku felt an anger he'd never known before filling his body. He threw off Jano's hand, his fists clenching at his side. "What do you know about it?" he hissed, fury strangling his voice. "You're one of them, aren't you? Demons don't care about humans like me and Sango, they just use them and throw them away."

"Sometimes, yes," Jano murmured, feeling that making himself a target for Kohaku was much better than the boy trying to take on Sesshomaru when his lord was in such an unpredictable mood. Whatever had just happened, and he wasn't entirely sure what Sessh was thinking, he knew that there was more to it. If Sango had meant nothing to him, he wouldn't have cared that she left.

And damn him, he knew the demon better than that. He knew Sesshomaru better than anyone else except maybe Naota, but it had been nearly a century since his lord's hanyou cousin had come to the fortress.

She had just been an amusement that he was now finished with? Please. The baby growing inside of her was proof that Sesshomaru had felt some kind of attachment, something that went far beyond only lust for a mortal's body.

"Kohaku," he said slowly, trying to find the right words. "I'm sorry about what just happened, I understand that you're hurt and angry."

"Do you?" the boy broke in. Now that he'd let the anger inside of him have a voice, he found he couldn't bottle it back up. Sesshomaru was just like Naraku; he'd done to Sango what Naraku had done to him. It was no different, just that Sesshomaru had pretended to be nice about it when he used his sister.

That made Kohaku sick, sick in his heart because he knew that Sango had believed that the demon really cared about her. She'd given him her heart and Sesshomaru had just discarded it on a youkai's whim.

He fixed Jano with his anger. "I hate you," he said coldly. "You've been pretending to be my friend, my sister's friend, since we came here. Don't lie to me anymore, Jano."

To his surprise, the youkai knelt down on one knee and looked him right in the eye. "I haven't pretended anything, Kohaku. I don't have any way to make you believe that."

"I'm leaving," Kohaku muttered, turning away from Jano's regret. "I don't have to stay here, I'm going with my sister."

"Do you really want to die that badly?" Jano asked in a wistful tone. "First you want to challenge Sessh, knowing that he'd destroy you. Now you want to leave even though you know it could mean your death. Will dying help Sango? Will it change anything? I thought you were stronger than this, Kohaku."

"Shut up," the boy said, his head down and his hair hiding his eyes. "Don't say anything about my sister, demon."

"Maybe we're wrong about you," Jano whispered. "Maybe it was easier to be Naraku's tool and have no will, no feelings of your own. Are you ashamed of that, Kohaku? Do you want to go back to Naraku so badly that you'd die to do it?"

"You shut up!" Kohaku roared, flinging himself at Jano. His smaller fists crashed against the demon's chest and face. Jano kept still, letting the boy hit him over and over to vent his feelings. Kohaku was crying, something hateful seeping in his heart as he hit Jano.

In his mind, he wasn't hitting Jano; he was tearing Naraku, the demon who had hurt him and his sister so badly. He was ashamed, ashamed that part of him didn't want to be free when he already knew the bliss of ignorance. He hit and kicked and clawed at Jano until he was exhausted, shaking and nearly fell.

Jano caught him, standing up and holding the human boy tight against his chest. Kohaku sobbed into Jano's shoulder, his arms around the youkai's neck as the bodyguard held him and soothed him with soft words. Jano had never thought much of having young of his own, but this boy's pain had touched him somehow, igniting protective instincts. He'd often thought that Kohaku was constantly walking an emotional edge, the depths of despair and shame on one side of the chasm, hope on the other.

No wonder he couldn't trust, how could anyone expect him to trust again after the way he'd been violated?

With a sigh that counted his many years, Jano set the boy back on his feet and firmly took his shoulders. "I haven't lied to you, Kohaku," he said, holding the boy's eyes with his own. "I promise that I am your friend and your sister's too. You have to trust me on that. And you are not leaving this fortress, not until I am personally sure that it won't mean your death. I don't want to be the one to tell your sister that you died because of Sesshomaru being a pigheaded fool. He's in love with her, even if he can't admit it to himself."

Kohaku's eyes had widened at his words. "You think so?" he asked in a tiny voice. "He really…wasn't using her just to hurt her and betray her?"

Jano grinned. "If he was, he'll have to answer to her brother, won't he? The honor of the youkai exterminators is not something to be cast aside lightly, not even by Sesshomaru."

oOo

Kagome sighed, tired as she was, the girl knew that Sango needed her. Inuyasha and Miroku were no help right now, not exactly their fault, but Kagome knew that Sango needed to be treated gently and given some time to deal with her tortured emotions. The last thing she needed was to hear anyone saying I told you so.

As soon as Miroku finished disposing of what was left of the youkai Sango had slain, Kagome put her arm around the girl's waist and drew to her to the side. "You need a bath," she said in a lightly unconcerned voice. "No offense Sango, but no one will get any sleep unless we do something about the way you smell."

"That's for damned sure," Inuyasha muttered, still grumpy about missing out on his chance with the demon. Kagome shot him a look that made him shut his mouth and turn away before she could toast him with her gaze.

"Okay," Sango said in a dull, lifeless voice. _No reason they should suffer because I stink_, she thought as Kagome gathered her things and pulled her away. She didn't protest as her friend took her to a hot spring and started to work on the ties that held Sango's armor to her body.

Sango smiled slightly and help Kagome as the other girl fumbled with the unfamiliar fastenings. "I can do it," she smiled softly. Kagome snorted at her, turning around and taking a brush from her bag.

"I know that," the younger girl answered. "Sometimes we all need a little help. Did you know that you've got guts in your hair? That's really gross."

Sango let her long hair down, shaking it back over her shoulders and stepping into the pleasantly warm water. Kagome had already stripped to her skin and was muttering over her choice of bottles.

"Well, I don't know," she said, her eyes twinkling at Sango. "You want your hair to smell like mango and coconut or English tea roses?"

"I don't know what an English tea rose is," Sango offered, sinking up to her shoulders in the warm current. She watched as Kagome grabbed up her clothes and plunked them downstream, securing them with rocks so they wouldn't float away. The girl splashed back to her, grinning.

"You know, Sango," she said with a devilish grin. "I think even Miroku won't have the guts to peep at us after the way you just dismembered that demon."

Sango yawned, the hot water making her feel sleepy. "He doesn't have that much sense, he'll peep if he thinks about it."

Kagome settled herself on a rock behind Sango and started to lather the other girl's hair. "Come on," Sango said, protesting. "I can do it myself."

"Maybe I want you to do mine after this," Kagome answered archly.

Sango closed her eyes as Kagome fingers worked through the tangles and clumps in her hair. "Deal," she said at last. One thing she had learned over the past couple years, it was pointless to argue with Kagome Higurashi when she was set on something. Even stubborn half demons lost out against her will, a mere human like Sango knew better than to fight.

Kagome hesitated, wondering if Sango was ready to talk about it or not. Her hands continued to massage the other girl's scalp when she leaned closer to her friend. "Sango," she murmured. "Are you ready to…"

"There's nothing to talk about, Kagome." Sango's voice startled her; it was hard and brittle, cold as ice. "I made a mistake. That's all."

_That's all, my ass_, Kagome thought, ducking Sango's head to rinse out the suds. She put the shampoo in the exterminator's hand and swam around her, settling down between Sango's knees so that she could wash her hair. As the exterminator started to scrub her head, Kagome closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation.

"You were in love with him Sango."

The hands paused, and then resumed their work. "Yes," Sango said, biting off the word like it was bitter. "I was in love with him. I'm not anymore. It's over."

"You're pregnant," Kagome said. Sango's nails bit into her skin. "Hey!"

"Sorry," Sango murmured. Pregnant. It seemed too much to think about, Sango hardly dared to breathe when she did think about it. Pregnant. With a youkai's baby. What would her father have said?

_He'd have said you deserved what you got for letting him touch you_, the voice in the back of her mind said darkly. _You got what every other stupid human woman had gotten, you got hurt. He didn't ever give a damn about you. Youkai like that can't love, they don't care and when they do take mates, they don't take demon exterminators for them_.

The entire fortress had probably been laughing about it, watching as their lord made a human fall in love with him. Why had she ever believed it? Why had she ever thought that someone like Sesshomaru, a pure blood youkai prince of all things, lord of his people and darkness itself, could ever want to be with her?

It made her ill, how stupid she'd been. In fact, she really felt very sick right now. There was a lingering aroma of blood in the air, it was overwhelming her. She could smell everything, the sickly sweetness of Kagome's shampoo, the rotting of vegetation in the water, animals that had left their marks in the forest. Her breath got stuck in her throat and Sango suddenly shoved Kagome out of the way so she could scramble out of the hot spring and fall to her knees and retch.

She vomited until everything in her stomach from breakfast was now in front of her and still she couldn't stop. Her body heaved painfully, trying to expel some foreign invader of her system. Sango thought that if she didn't stop soon, she would almost surely tear herself apart. It couldn't be good for the baby. Hot tears streaked her face and mixed with the bile on her chin.

_My baby_, she thought, feeling a tight knot in her chest start to unfold.

_I don't care that he doesn't want me, I don't care that he doesn't want this baby now_, she lied to herself. It was a joke to him; make a demon exterminator carry a demon's child. She knew what Sesshomaru thought about hanyou and felt her heart start to ice over, realizing that he'd never intended to keep her around long enough for the baby to be born. He didn't want her and he didn't want the child, it would be up to her to raise their son or daughter alone.

She felt Kagome standing behind her, the girl's soft hand pulling her hair back and Sango sat back on her knees, wiping her face. She looked up and saw Kagome was crying too.

"I don't know what to say," the girl blubbered, squeezing Sango's hands. "I don't know what to do to help you. But I promise, you don't have to go through this alone. I'll be there for you, so will Inuyasha and Miroku. Sango, please believe me. You aren't alone."

_We must look a sight_, the exterminator thought. _Two naked women sitting next to a hot spring and crying_. She was starting to shiver too and stood up, taking Kagome with her. "Let's get back in the water before we get a chill," she said. Her free hand wrapped protectively over her abdomen.

"All this crying and throwing up isn't good for my baby."

oOo

Darkness walked in the forest, a terrible light in his eyes. He looked to the sky, snarling the stars that dared shine upon him. He wanted it dark, he wanted blackness to surround his body like a cocoon and take him away. His mind was a burning, seething pit of anger and hunger. The village hadn't been enough. Humans were no better than animals to his need, no matter how many he devoured it barely slaked his rage.

He wanted demon blood and the blackness that once was a living dog demon growled his fury. The one who compelled him, but did not entirely control him, had denied him what he needed. He had forced him to turn away from the wolf demon in the end, barely getting a taste of him.

"Wait for it," the one who called himself Naraku said. "This wolf needs to live a little longer, I need him to carry a message for me."

The darkness didn't care, the insanity didn't care. He didn't care what this Naraku planned or plotted. It meant nothing to one who had seen hell and called it home.

He was angry that he'd been forced back to this imperfect world, his body resurrected and his mind compelled by some foul spell. He didn't even remember his own name but he knew ancient magic when it snared him, feeling the bonds whispering in his veins. He did not thank Naraku for this un-life, this burning anger and pain that were his existence.

He sat down, crouching really, and stared at his hands. His fingers were dead white with black claws, powerful and large enough to crush a human's skull with one hand. He had been made for death, even as a living man he'd known that. Once again, the demon tried to remember. Who was he really? What did it mean that he was here?

It hurt to try and think about it, but images moving too fast to recognize blurred in his mind. Much death, much destruction, much cruel amusement to pass the time. Sometimes he thought he recognized something, a place, the face of another person, but the recognition passed too quickly for him to understand it.

A vision kept haunting him, when he turned to look over his shoulder, paranoid as he was trapped in confusion and hate; he thought he saw a child trying to follow him. A white haired child.

It made him angry that the child didn't stay, angry that it vanished before he could question it. And it brought a feeling of sadness, something he regretted but couldn't remember. He hated it for making him feel like that and still he longed to look for it again. It had the answer to the question he couldn't remember how to ask. Feeling much abused, the infernal creature rested his head against his knees and tried to quiet the burning inside him.

A soft rustle of a step caught his attention, his head coming up in a predatory alertness. He crouched and crept through the trees, his nose twitching at the smell of warm human flesh. A sadistic smile crossed his face as he watched her, a young human woman alone in the forest, picking wild herbs and putting them in a basket.

He must be near another village, which was good. He was hungry as always.

The girl stood and picked up her basket, humming to herself and she turned down the path, not knowing of her danger or the thing that watched her greedily. He licked his lips, humans were good to play with, they made amusing sounds when they died and he remembered suddenly that females were good for more than just eating.

A dark chuckle that sounded like terror itself given voice came from him and he dropped onto the path to follow the woman. She would do for now and her village would satisfy him later. He was the thing in the darkness they feared, he was hatred given form and by the gods themselves, every living creature on the face of this land would be his to devour. Even Naraku. Even the white haired child he dreamed of and wanted for his own.

The demon that raised him from death didn't understand what he had done or that each soul he shredded made him stronger and more filled with fury. He was hatred itself, darkness come to life and even as he grabbed the girl, spinning her around to face him and drinking in her terrified scream, he knew that he couldn't stop even if he wanted to.

His claw traced her lips as he pulled her to his mouth and held the trembling little body against him. His voice was oil mixed with shattered glass as he mockingly whispered into her ear the only name he ever gave his victims.

"My love."


	29. TwentyNine

_**Chapter TwentyNine**_

Rin felt sad as she walked by herself along the corridor. Everyone was upset about something; she didn't know what had happened to make things go wrong. Something bad happened between Sesshomaru-sama and Kohaku's sister. Rin didn't know how to make it better, but she sure wished she did.

Kohaku was unhappy too and didn't want to play with her. She offered to keep him company in his room, but the boy had shook his head and said that he wanted to be alone. She supposed he was sad that his sister had left; she knew how much he loved her and wanted to be with her. Rin sighed, trailing her fingers along the cold stone and feeling very lonely. Didn't Sesshomaru-sama want to be with Sango? Didn't he want her to make him happy?

Rin herself felt very disappointed, she hadn't said a word to anyone, but she'd thought a lot about Sango since she'd first realized the exterminator was someone important to her Sesshomaru-sama. If Sango and Kohaku came to live at the fortress, it would almost be like having a family of her own again. Kohaku was close enough in age to really be her brother and Sango was so kind and pretty.

Rin had desperately hoped that someday, maybe, the exterminator would let her call her mama. Rin had missed her own mother ever since she'd lost her; somehow even time had failed to heal that stinging feeling behind her eyelids. She told herself that she was fine, that she didn't need a parent really. She had Makiko to look after her, Sesshomaru-sama made sure that she'd never feel afraid again.

It wasn't the same as having a mother and a family of her own. She wasn't brave enough to ask Sesshomaru if she could call him father even he did care for her in his own cold and distant way. If the rumors were true, Kohaku's sister was going to have a baby and that baby would be Sesshomaru-sama's baby too. If the baby could call him father, maybe he wouldn't mind if Rin did too.

It was confusing, but at least Kohaku was here. It was a strange thing to be the only human child living at the fortress. Everyone was kind to her, at least everyone on the staff. There were lords and nobles she knew better than to approach, but not all of them were like that. Hiromi-san for instance, she had always been polite and even given her pretty trinkets to play with. Rin was still a little suspicious of highborn youkai that seemed to accept her.

It was far more likely that they feared angering Sesshomaru-sama than they felt any kindness towards a human brat. Makiko and Jano were the exceptions to that, but both of them had no reason to pretend to be kind if they weren't. That was the opinion Rin had formed of most of the staff. They might have to tolerate her, but they didn't have go out of their way to be kind and most of them did.

Rin looked up, seeing a familiar shape at the end of the corridor and smiled. The day was looking up, there was someone that had to play with her, whether he liked it or not. "Jaken-sama!" she squealed.

The imp looked frightened, then annoyed as she rushed up to squeeze him. "Let me go, infernal brat," he yelled.

She set him down and glared at him, pretending to be angry. "Where have you been, Jaken?" she demanded. "I've been looking for you for days and nobody knew where you were!"

He brushed himself off, looking up at her with distrustful yellow eyes. "I know when to make myself absent," he said loftily. "As soon as Jano brought those...people...here with him, I knew it was a dark day indeed for this fortress."

"Why?" she asked, fascinated. "Was it because Inuyasha hits you?"

"No," he said, huffing to himself.

"Was it because Miroku threatened to exorcise you?"

He glared at her, foolish child. "No," he said. "It was..."

"Because Kagome was going to purify you?" the girl asked excitedly. That would definitely be worth seeing.

"No," he shouted at last. "It was because of that disgusting human woman that had her foul claws into Sesshomaru-sama! It is not my place to say, but I was never as happy as when he finally ran her out of here! A revolting thing, having a human mistress in this place. It was shameful!"

Rin sat back, her mouth dropping open in surprise. "Jaken, don't say that about Sango. She was nice and very kind. I liked her and I wanted her to stay."

The imp looked disgusted and brushed the girl away. "You don't understand," he said, giving her a condescending smirk. "That woman probably thought she belonged here and she doesn't! Just because Sesshomaru-sama chose to favor her with his attention, and I do not know why, is no reason to go strutting around here and causing problems! Did you see poor Hisuni-sama's face? Over a human woman!"

Rin flushed. "You hate humans so much, Jaken." It hurt and the imp had never made his dislike so clear. She thought that she annoyed him, but she didn't realize he hated her for being human.

Jaken dropped his gaze and looked away. The truth was the girl had grown on him and he had no wish to hurt her. As much as he wished his lord would find a suitable, human, family to give the girl to, he never would have caused her harm. It was all Rin's fault that Sesshomaru had ever been taken with that woman; she was the one who had fallen off the cliff in the first place. He told her not to get so close!

She never listened to him, never had, merrily going along her way and smiling at his lord with those big eyes. Then, horror of horrors, his lord had taken an interest in another human female and for carnal reasons! The shame of it all, Jaken didn't know how to express it. His lord had the pick, very best choice of any number of youkai females with impeccable breeding. Those were the females that were suited to bear his heir, not a weak, filthy human woman who exterminated demons.

"As I was saying," he said, assuming the role of venerable elder educating ignorant child. "Rin, you should not have become attached to her in the first place. It was inappropriate of her to come here, damn Jano anyway."

Rin raised her eyebrows. She didn't think Jaken would say 'damn Jano' if the bodyguard was standing in front of him.

Jaken sniffed, obviously not realizing that the girl knew him better. "I decided to make myself absent so I wouldn't have to witness what was going on. The very idea of a youkai exterminator being mate to a lord of Sesshomaru-sama's status was ridiculous. And to have a hanyou child by her? You mark my words, Rin. There must have been a foul spell placed upon him to ever consider such a revolting thing."

The imp staggered as the girl suddenly crashed into him, slamming the small demon into the wall. "It was not a bad thing," the young girl shouted. "It was a good thing and I wanted Sesshomaru-sama to be happy! Didn't you see how she was crying when she left? She loved him!"

Jaken stared as Rin tore herself away from him, sobbing as she ran down the corridor as fast as her legs could take her. Humans and their emotions, he didn't understand it. He was simply stating the obvious. If that fool woman had been stupid enough to fall in love with someone who was so obviously her superior, she deserved whatever heartbreak she had incurred.

He straightened his robes and composed himself as best he could. Really, the way they let that child take on was disgraceful.

oOo

He'd been watching from the shadows of the next corridor, knowing that neither Rin nor Jaken had the ability to sense his presence if he did not wish it so. Sesshomaru's face didn't react to the scene he'd just witnessed although he found himself annoyed by Jaken's words more than Rin's impulsive behavior.

It was not the imp's place to make judgments regarding his personal life and he didn't appreciate Jaken's airing of the matter to his young ward. Rin was a child; she had no business disturbing herself about what was none of her affair. He made a mental note to speak to Jaken about curbing his tongue. Or losing it permanently.

Still, one could not deny that Jaken was simply voicing an opinion that was no doubt held by many of his own people. Was it not ridiculous for a youkai such as himself to have ever taken up with a woman like Sango?

At the very least, he could have been expected to explore such appetites in private, not publicly acknowledging the relationship as he had. But he'd been so damned angry when Hisuni had dared strike her, he could not deny that the instincts that blow had inspired were protective and possessive as any demon would have towards one he considered his mate. It still made him pulse with anger and he had effectively ended the relationship himself.

Hadn't he? Sesshomaru scowled briefly and continued on to his study. He needed quiet, time for contemplation and reflection, that was it. Although in the three days she'd been gone he'd had ample time for nothing else. And still his nose twitched hopefully when he entered his bedroom, searching for the faintest trace of her scent.

_Like an addiction_, he thought in disgust. He truly had no patience for himself these days and had sent the housekeeping staff into his rooms with the intention of removing all traces of the woman. It was impossible to sleep with such reminders of the humiliation he'd endured. Not that he had slept and gave a silent thanks to the youkai blood that meant he could do without rest until it suited him.

Damn her to hell, he had important things to consider. An invader in his territory, Naraku's plots and plans, the machinations of the court and the amount of trouble his hanyou brother had managed to stir in just a few days of being here.

Hanyou brother. Sesshomaru swept into his rooms with an uncharacteristic display of anger, using a sharp blast of youki to slam the door behind him. His study was empty; his personal staff was avoiding him. Just as well. He had no wish to look at them; they came to his bidding and not the other way around. He decided he had been too lax lately, too forgiving of minor indiscretions and familiarity. That would stop immediately.

Sesshomaru considered that a bit of fresh air would do well at the moment; he was unusually restless and had no intention of prowling the halls. It wasn't his habit to do so and people would talk. And there was enough to talk about; he'd broken every rule he'd ever made about keeping his private affairs discreet.

What had ever possessed him? The imp was right about one thing; he must have been under a spell. It would have to be a powerful bit of magic, being daiyoukai and not susceptible to such ploys. Was it possible that was the true reason for his unbearable attraction the human woman? That he, Sesshomaru, had been seduced by a spell?

_You are not in the habit of deceiving yourself_, he thought angrily, climbing the last few stairs until he reached the top of the tower. _I do not lie and rationalize my actions_, the demon lord told himself. It was a physical lust, a biological reaction somehow. Curiosity satisfied, he had no intention of ever letting himself be so misled again.

It was hard enough to accept that he'd let himself be made a fool for a female, made weak with longing for another's touch. Quite honestly, how could he be expected to endure it?

He raised his eyes to the sky and drank in the texture of the setting sun, watching as the golden glow deepened to crimson, nestling behind the mountains that surrounded his valley. It had been such a long time since he'd known that kind of peace, the utter contentment that he'd experienced with Sango. He wasn't sentimental by nature; among demons there was little enough sentiment.

He didn't need to feel that way. He should be ashamed of his weakness and the way his hand had always curved towards her, hungry for the mere brush of her dark hair against his skin. Pathetic, really, to allow himself to be affected like that.

If he'd had any brains about him at all, he would have slain her after that first coupling. That would have ensured that he never hungered for her. It would have been cold and cruel and very much a youkai to have taken her hard in passion that first night, let her screams of ecstasy ring against his ears and then reach down, caress that delicate white throat and slowly squeeze the life from it as he filled her with his essence. That would have been a demon's way of dealing with his desire for a mortal's flesh.

Instead he'd buried himself in her so deep he hadn't felt the danger, didn't see the signs. Wrapping his form around hers as she'd slept, whispering endearments like a love struck fool, what in the world had he been thinking? Wasn't he a proud youkai lord? Didn't he discard all living things as merely tools for his use? He had no use for weak emotions, but he had embraced them just the same and let the siren song of desire whisper to him, dare him. Tempt him to give in this time and let himself be seduced by the possibility of being loved.

A soft step behind him drew his attention from these reflections and Sesshomaru decided that it was about time to make things utterly clear. There was only one way to resolve this matter to his satisfaction; simply sending her away wasn't going to be enough. If she'd loved him, she would have stayed. To hell with her desire for revenge and her need for Naraku's blood. If she was foolish enough to put that abomination above him, she had left him no choice.

He had been angry; he had dealt with it appropriately. _Let her follow her path of duty_, he sneered to himself. He was youkai and he could be very patient when he wanted. Sango had to know that he could have forced her to stay; even his damnable half brother couldn't have helped her escape from the fortress if he had desired to prevent it.

Then there was the matter of her brother. A lesser creature wouldn't have hesitated to use Kohaku to ensure the sister's obedience. Turn the boy out and he'd surely die, Sesshomaru felt that reality like an instinct in his bones. Tenseiga would not allow it, but the threat could have been made.

No. He was not so low or so cowardly as to think he could compel a woman's heart by threatening the one thing that he knew she held precious. Play that hand and he would have no honor whatsoever and might as well be Naraku. He'd thought about it, contemplated his options and calculated with his cool demon's mind what would serve him best. No denying it, whatever Sango wanted or thought she was doing when she'd snared his emotions, it wasn't over.

She still belonged to him. He didn't need a mortal's idea of love.

She carried his child and Sesshomaru felt a powerful instinct to preserve that bond. No, it didn't matter that the child was hanyou, half human and would never be pure youkai. The child also belonged to him as much as its mother did. That was his choice and if any fool dared try to assign that choice a sentimental or emotional reasoning behind it, Sesshomaru would not hesitate to punish that speaker with death. Nor was he about to drag her back by the hair, as some wretched human male would do.

Absolutely not. When the time was right, she would beg him to take her back and that was as it should be. Until that time, when they both were ready to resume the relationship under his rules, she would have to be watched over, protected. As if he could count on his brother for that. Sesshomaru smiled. He would assign a more seasoned guardian for his mate.

For mate she was, until he chose otherwise. Mate and child, what kind of inuyoukai would he be to simply let them escape?

"Jano," he said sharply, thinking he'd let his bodyguard wait long enough.

"My lord." Jano's voice was completely neutral, waiting. He'd been expecting the summons for three days; he'd barely slept himself from anticipating what his lord was going to order.

"Find her. Follow her. Make sure no harm comes to her or my child. If you fail, do not return."

Jano nodded. "I understand, my lord."

Sesshomaru turned, the dying sunlight catching his eyes and throwing ghosts of his father's visage into the air. "I mean that, Jano," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "If harm comes to her, expect worse from me."

He didn't need to be told twice. "I understand," Jano answered harshly. There were things you questioned and things you didn't. Three days ago he'd wanted to scream at Sesshomaru for his stupidity in letting Sango leave like that, thinking she meant nothing to the demon lord.

Two days ago, he'd begun to reconsider and wonder if they truly weren't better off without each other. Sango didn't need someone who would discard her cruelly and Sesshomaru was far too set in his ways to change for the sake of a woman.

Yesterday, he'd reversed his decision and realized that his lifelong friend and lord needed her more than he could imagine, more than he could even guess and Jano burned hot then cold with dread of this summons. Either he'd be ordered to bring her back against her will, a daunting task as Sango was a stubborn as a demon and deadly in her own skilled way.

Ordered to bring her back or ordered to hunt her down, he didn't relish the thought.

This morning he'd sat in the cold light of the early dawn and asked himself what he'd do if he were Sesshomaru and refusing to admit how much in love with a human woman he was. That hit a little too close to home for him, thinking of his own mistakes, and that's when he'd understood.

Sessh couldn't let go any more than he could, you didn't challenge a dog demon when it came to being tenacious and you didn't fuck with his mate. Not and keep your fingers or your head. That resolved, he'd waited until Sessh was ready to call on him. It was definitely about to get messy and Jano was exactly the kind of person you wanted around when it did.

oOo

Makiko found that she was deeply annoyed herself. Her staff was too busy gossiping about Sesshomaru-sama's situation to get their jobs done. The only member of her staff that didn't care about it seemed to be her sister, Aiko. The girl was pouting over the fact that the young houshi-sama had departed with the other humans and the hanyou-sama. It seemed she'd taken to the young man and was annoyed that he'd had to leave before she could make another attempt at getting to know him.

Privately, she thought that Aiko had gotten to know Miroku intimately enough for both their sanity. She'd actually felt guilty when she'd seen the monk's battered face, realizing that her sister had taken her instructions very literally.

Now she was also feeling guilty about her own involvement with the fortress' rumor mill. What had seemed to be a fun idea to get back at Jano had turned on her. She'd been asked by no less that five people that morning if she really planned to leave the fortress. Makiko blushed, overhearing a cluster of young maids whispering that the head of staff was hopelessly in love with Jano-san, had been soundly rejected by said Jano-san and despairing of losing her true love.

She was absolutely going to kill Aiko.

Makiko had never mentioned being in love with Jano, she'd told Aiko to spread the rumor that she was leaving because Jano had made an ass of himself by declaring his love for her. That would have been much more satisfying in her opinion. Now half the staff was upset because she was going to leave and worried that no one would take her place, the fortress would fall into chaos, and Sesshomaru-sama would sack the entire housekeeping staff for incompetence.

The other half, Makiko scowled to herself, speculated that it was a cover story and Makiko was really running off because she was in love the lord's younger brother and wanted to follow him.

She snorted, that one actually amused her somewhat. Still, no one needed to forget their duties over it. Makiko thought that she'd rather the staff speculated on her love life rather than endlessly rehash what had happened in the courtyard. The idiots had to go an attack each other, so much for any sense of self-restraint.

About what she'd expected out of Kouga and Inuyasha, but she'd thought the human females to be more reasonable. Then there was the kitsune and Rin getting involved and the lot of them had better be glad that Rin hadn't been injured in the fracas.

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance when Jano suddenly burst into the kitchen, scowling impartially as he scanned the room for her. Her maids, cooks, scullery, and stewards all stopped to watch as he stormed across the room like a thunderhead gathering for a storm. She planted her fists on her hips to glare threateningly at him, but he came on like she'd handed him her most polite smile instead. He grabbed her arm and nearly pulled her off her feet by hauling her towards her small office.

"Jano," she snarled, trying to yank herself free. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He didn't answer and the staff started to babble in excitement when he dragged her to the door and pushed her inside. "I said we needed to talk!"

"Asshole," Makiko snapped, tearing her arm free. She was absolutely furious, she wanted to tear his skin off and use it for a dust rag. "How dare you..."

He held up his hand, scowling. "Is it true or not?"

Makiko rolled her eyes. "Is what true?" she shot back.

"I want to know if you're leaving."

Oh that. She turned away from him for a moment, then spun around and met his eyes. "You should know better than to listen to idle gossip."

"So it was all a lie?" he asked, his expression never flickering. "I have to say I'm disappointed."

She flushed. He had the nerve to be disappointed that she wasn't leaving. She should kill him. "Well I'm so sorry you're disappointed, Jano."

He grinned suddenly, turning his gaze away from her. "I guess it's wrong for me to assume something is true just because it's what I wanted."

Makiko shoved him hard. "Thanks, I'm glad to know I mean that much to you!"

Jano caught her wrists. "And here I was hoping that you'd miss me."

She got angrier as she twisted her wrists until he let go of her hands. "I'm not leaving, stupid!"

"I know," he murmured and caught her around the waist as he pulled her against him. "I was talking about the rumor that you were in love with me. What were you talking about?"

She stared at him. "You are the most complete moron, Jano. I am not in love with you!"

"So the rumor is true? You are leaving the fortress?"

"No," she shouted, breathing hard as she shoved him away, backing him into the wall. "I'm not leaving!"

He smirked and twisted to pin her against the wall instead. "You can't leave. You're in love with me and you'd be miserable without me. I can't let you do that to yourself."

Makiko forgot to be angry, she was confused as hell. She shook her head to clear it; distracted by the way his hand was wandering up her back as he embraced her. "What?"

"You really ask too many questions."

"You've really lost your mind."

"I know," he sighed. "I'm insanely in love with you, Makiko. I've been telling you that for years."

Makiko staggered a bit as he suddenly let her go. "I'll talk to you when I get back," he said mildly, giving her a lazy wink. "I've got to go chase down a woman that Sessh is not in love with and protect her with my life or face eternal damnation at his will."

He started to open the door and she saw about a half a dozen of her staff suddenly bolt away as if she couldn't tell they'd been listening at the door. She flushed with embarrassment and balled her fists. Oh no, he did not!

Makiko ran after him, clamping her hands down on Jano's arm, heedless of the entire kitchen staring at her in complete fascination. "You wanted to talk," she snarled and dragged him back into the office and kicked the door shut.

Jano folded his arms and smirked at her. "What did you want to talk about?"

She took a deep breath. "First of all, I don't love you. Second, I'm not leaving the fortress. Third, you are the most insensitive clod, the most insufferable lech, the most immature, spiteful, selfish, conceited, bullying and bragging useless prat that I have ever had the misfortune to know!"

He plopped down on her desk. "Is that all? Don't hold back, Makiko."

Growling, she advanced on him. "One more thing," she spat.

He grabbed her arms and yanked her close, trapped her hips with his knees as he sat holding her firmly in place. "One more thing," he repeated and kissed her. Makiko tensed to fight him off but found that she really didn't want to. Instead she closed her eyes, letting herself kiss him back.

He let go of her arms and she immediately wound them around his neck, lost in the pressure of their lips. He gasped suddenly and pulled back, taking her face in his hands and crushing her lips, his hands winding into her thick, braided hair and tightening. Her body went limp against his, holding herself upright by her forearms that braced against his shoulders. Makiko whispered something he didn't understand when they broke their kiss and Jano couldn't take it anymore.

Wordless now, he kissed her chin, letting his lips wander down her throat. It wasn't the right time, he had to get ready to leave as soon as possible and he sighed as he gently pressed her away from him.

"I really have to go," he whispered, tenderly holding her gaze.

"I know," she answered, wanting more from him. Makiko slowly backed away, trying to get the unbelievable tide of hormones under control. She wasn't angry this time, she understood and he understood and whatever had been standing between them had dissolved like a mist in the summer sun. His kisses had left a burning trail on her skin; a flush heat was racing through her veins.

Disappointment was washing cold down her backbone, but she made her hands obey her will, letting him go, backing away and pressing her shoulders against the wall. He got up from the desk slowly, loathing himself for being able to do it and fight back the hot waves of desire that were crashing down on them both. His hand was on the door; he needed to leave now if he wanted any hope of getting out of this room.

"Go," she whispered, as he opened the door. Curious eyes peered in, kitchen staff pretending not to be spying anyway. Jano shook himself and looked back at her.

"Oh fuck this," he said, suddenly realizing that he was a complete and utter moron.

He slammed the door again, ignoring the disappointed groans and sighs on the other side. Makiko laughed as he came back to her, sweeping her up and throwing her onto the desk. "I had always hoped for somewhere more romantic," he confided as he leaned over her.

Her hands wound into his black hair; her fingers untying the long topknot and letting the soft waves fall over his shoulders. "Don't be an idiot," she said, pulling him down on her for a vaporous kiss.

Jano forgot whatever he'd been thinking, her hands were pulling at his clothes, demanding and insisting that he pay attention. He fought to get his hands on her, each of them urgently trying to undress the other. She was breathing hard, her mouth urgent against his, finally getting his leather armor and shirt off, finding a concealed knife or two along the way and dropping them with a clatter to the stone floor.

Meanwhile, he'd managed to remove most of her outer garments and couldn't stop himself from kissing her breasts through the thin under layer of her yukata. He couldn't think straight, his hands shaking a little as he pulled her up, cradling her hips against his as she braced her arms on the sturdy little table and locked her legs around his. He moved forward, swallowing as he leaned in for a soft kiss just when someone started knocking at the door.

They froze, Makiko's eyes going wide as she stared over his shoulder at the door. "W...what?" she asked and wondered what they'd do if the suicidal fool on the other side of that door tried to enter at such a compromising moment.

"Sister?" Aiko's voice sounded muffled through the door. "Is...is everything okay? The girls are wondering what their duties are." There was a tense pause. "Sister?"

Jano waited, holding his breath. This was insane.

"Everyone has the afternoon off," Makiko suddenly shouted, almost barking the words as she bared her teeth at the door. Jano's jaw dropped open.

"Are you serious?" came Aiko's incredulous voice.

"She is," Jano snarled. "And I will personally dismember the next person that knocks on that door. You got that, Aiko or do I need to spell it out? Go the fuck away!"

Makiko snorted into his shoulder, her body shaking with silent laughter. "I don't believe this," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears of mirth and Jano just shook his head.

"That's the problem with this place, no damn privacy," he muttered.

Makiko snickered, leaned back languorously. "Where were we?"

"Here," he breathed, moving to kiss her again. His hands found their way to her bare skin; Makiko arched her back, drawing him closer. "Now," she hissed, kissing his chest and digging her claws into his back. She pressed her forehead into his chest, his hands bracing against the table and found her ready for him to enter her at last.

He nuzzled the top of her head with his chin before tipping her face up to his for a hard kiss. Jano hissed into her mouth, his fangs grazing her tongue as their bodies began to move as one. Time melted, minutes blending together in desperate abandon. Makiko whimpered urgently, pulling him against her, locking him to her with her knees and grinding against him.

"Oh gods," she gasped, throwing her head back and he stared down at her, riding the tide of her as Makiko suddenly surged, clutching him tightly. He held her against him, panting hot in her ear and snarled angrily almost, pushing hard against her as the table groaned under them and threatened to give way.

His legs were going weak, he couldn't think for a moment, nothing mattered as Makiko put her hands behind her, pushing against the table and lifting against him, pulling him to her with her legs and Jano cried out, his claws shredding the surface of her desk as he buried his face against her neck. Her hands came back to his face and stroked his hair back from his cheek as she tenderly whispered his name.


	30. Thirty

_**Chapter Thirty**_

Aiko frowned, leaning against the closed door of her sister's office. She listened intently, trying to make out the whispered conversation, but it was no use. One of the younger maids came running up to her, breathing hard and her face flushed.

"Is it true?" she asked eagerly.

The young woman grinned. "Yes, they finally got together. I can't believe it, as stubborn as my sister is I thought they'd both die of old age long before admitting how badly they wanted this."

The maid sighed. "It's so romantic," she murmured, her eyes shining. "Jano-san is so...so..."

"Stubborn as a farmer's ox and twice as temperamental?" Shiou asked, casually leaning across the table to join their conversation.

The maid gave him a reproachful look. "If you and your like ever tried to understand females, you wouldn't be so dense and you'd know what I'm talking about."

Shiou smirked as the girl flounced off, her nose in the air. "Right. Jano understands females, I believe that load of dragon dung." The guard grinned briefly and reached over to pinch Aiko before she moved away. She jumped and slapped his hand.

"Stop that, fool!"

He smirked at her, amusement in his eyes. "Oh I see how it is. I heard that you prefer humans now, Aiko."

She shot him a scowl that made her strongly resemble her sister. "Certain humans are much preferable to ham fisted louts like you."

The guard snorted. "Never had a human," he said reflectively. "Seemed more trouble than they was worth, if you get my meaning." He leered at her, leaning on his elbows. "Maybe we should go someplace and you can tell me how I measure up?"

"You don't," she said sharply.

Shiou pouted. "No need to be insulting about it."

Aiko ignored him, looking around the kitchen. Since her sister had announced that the kitchen staff had the afternoon off, the news had spread like wildfire. First the housekeeping staff charged into the kitchen and demanded to know why the cooks and stewards had an afternoon off but they didn't. Aiko cheerfully informed them to take the rest of the day off too.

Then members of the guard had come in, wanting to know why the maids and stewards and cooks had all been granted a free afternoon and what was the occasion? Aiko told them why. Now the kitchen was full of off duty guards merrily drinking with off duty household staff.

In the far corner, a group of guards were having a game of dice with some slightly soused stable hands. It was getting very crowded and Aiko sincerely hoped that word of the festivities didn't reach noble ears. She hoped the kitchen's evening shift would be showing up soon to work on dinner for the fortress or it was going to get unpleasant when this many hungry people didn't get served.

A loud crash made the girl jump and she pressed her ear against the door, fluttering her hand for quiet. Haru waved a full mug in her direction.

"What the hell was that?" he whispered.

"I think they broke her desk," Aiko hissed back at him, grinning. She listened again then abruptly backed away from the door. Several dozen eyes were upon her, eager smiles and knowing smirks. What else could she do?

Aiko held up her hands in a triumphant gesture. "They're at it again!"

Shiou clapped his hands enthusiastically and jumped up. "Oi, round two is starting, boys! Let's raise our cups and toast our fearless leader! To Jano!"

"And Makiko!" Aiko called out, seizing a glass that was pressed into her hand.

Loud cheers filled the kitchen and delighted dog demons went about the business of gambling and speculating about the couple's stamina, flexibility and prowess.

oOo

Jano's hands were clenched on Makiko's hips, squeezing as she continued to move on top of him. He could barely breathe, the shattered table under him was digging most uncomfortably into his back but he didn't give a flying damn about it. All he could think of was Makiko as her claws dug into his arms and chest, leaving welts when she cried out, arching her back and gasping his name over and over.

He was dizzy, but slowly melted back into his body, satisfaction oozing from every pore of his skin. His ears were still ringing, at least he thought that's what it was and he lifted his head slightly to stare at the door.

"Did you hear that?" he muttered, looking up at her. Oh gods above, she was gorgeous and Jano growled possessively to himself when he watched Makiko wipe the sweat off her forehead and trail her hands over her breasts.

"I didn't hear anything." Makiko leaned forward, resting her head on his chest and sighing in pure sensuous contentment. "What did you hear?"

Jano stroked her back, his hands couldn't get enough of her and his mouth was watering for her kisses. "I'm not sure...for a moment I thought I heard cheering."

oOo

Miles away from the fortress and quite far from his own home territory, a solitary demon lord wandered in the forest. Barou smiled to himself as he walked, it was a good thing to have some time for reflection. He'd promised Sesshomaru that he'd do everything he could to determine the nature of the nameless, haunting threat.

For haunting it was, grim and evil, dark like the deepest hole in hell and still somehow eluding him like a ghost from long ago. His senses were as acute as any other inuyoukai, impressive eyesight, and legendary sense of smell. He didn't rely on his ability to track prey for something like this. He was doing more than tracking, he was pursuing.

One thing he'd learned over the years was the value of observation, the talent for paying attention to minutiae and analyzing the facts. He was a practical man, a quiet, gentle demon actually. Most dog demons tended to be rambunctious and hot headed. Cold, deliberate ones like Sesshomaru-sama were rare. More unusual still that such a demon would have come from a father like Inutaisho.

He smiled fondly as he always did at the memory of the Daimyo. Vital and larger than life, a personality and charisma so strong that it dominated anyone and everything it encountered. Underneath, a complex and reflective man, deeply troubled sometimes, but capable of a cultivated consciousness and mercy.

Barou stopped and peered up at the sky, the sunlight whispering through the verdant leaves, dappling him with its light and sending shadows in all directions. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, letting his consciousness slowly expand.

He felt the forest pressing in on him, telling him its stories in its own magical language. The trees whispered of the coming change in seasons, a hare darted by concerned with his family's welfare. Peaceful and serene, nothing out of place. Just quiet, easy and relaxed, as a forest should be, counting time in the way the shadows stretched across the branches of its trees and birds fluttered to each other about the day's tastiest insects.

Then he felt it again, the taste of a mind in sheer torment. Barou winced, instinctively shying away from it even as he tried to locate its intentions. No discernable thoughts or plans, not even an identity, only rage, pain, angry need and appalling torment. It left him shivering in the warm sun, ate at his existence with cancerous fury.

He sighed as the feeling slowly faded, leaving a bare spot in his conscious mind. He was relieved it didn't linger, although it didn't serve his purposes as far as stopping it. Whatever could have created such a monster? Insanity ruled the consciousness, barely coherent as it only articulated rage and desire to cause immense pain. Lust for blood? Specifically inuyoukai blood.

Barou stopped again, contemplating that thought. What purpose? Why would this enemy create something like that that longs for inuyoukai blood? It would kill anything it encountered, but the mind seemed to be moving in a slow inward spiral that's focus was the fortress itself.

Could it have been created just to destroy that one single place, that one single enemy that was the current lord of the Western territories? Naraku had annoyed Sesshomaru on more than one occasion, but it still confused Barou. Sesshomaru barely considered Naraku a threat, almost unworthy of killing if he hadn't gone out of his way to be insulting and vile. It was really more the younger brother that the mutant demon sought, some old, bad score to settle that Barou wasn't privy to and hadn't asked about.

Why would Naraku go out of his way to create something that would come after Sesshomaru? Was it personal or was it just coincidence?

_Very well_, he decided, turning on his heel and heading in a new direction. _I shall seek Naraku as well, if he's within the western territories someone will know of it_.

In the meantime, they had a bloodthirsty monster that wanted to spread terror. He would report back to his cousin as soon as he could, let Sesshomaru decide how to deal with the problem. It disturbed him, that raging mind out there destroying whatever it touched. Nothing would be safe and he sincerely hoped that Sesshomaru intended to hunt the creature down and put an end to such a tortured existence.

As Barou continued on his way, he became aware of a presence near him. The demon paused, not showing any expression on his face. It was masked from him and that truly made him uncomfortable. An experienced inuyoukai could mask his presence and scent with some skill in manipulating youki, but few were able to mask their minds from Barou. Sesshomaru possessed an unusually disciplined mind that wasn't readily open to him.

If his daiyoukai lord wished, he could allow Barou to see what he was thinking or feeling, but such moments were exceeding rare, Sesshomaru being very private and not inclined to let anyone guess, let alone see, what he was thinking. No, this was something else, a muffled blank space in his awareness, actively blocking him from seeking it out. It puzzled Barou and made him even more edgy than usual.

Barou smiled faintly. You'd think his abilities would have made him less likely to be susceptible to paranoia, but the opposite was the result. He questioned everything, analyzed information to the point of being obsessive. Hells, he was obsessive, he knew it and accepted the fact even as he slipped to the side of the path and crouched in wait.

Whoever was tracking him would assume he couldn't sense their presence; this had to be a trap. Barou had no intention of being taken by surprise and if couldn't identify the mind that was shielded from him, he would wait and identify its owner. Sure enough, his ears detected, barely, the sound of footsteps. Whoever they belonged to was more light-footed than Sesshomaru even, Barou had to strain to follow the sounds.

_Skilled woodsman at least_, he thought analytically as he waited. This person knew how to follow a trail and leave none of his own, walking within the natural rhythms of the forest so that not even a bird twittered at his approach.

He tasted the faintest possible hint of scent in the air and Barou's backbone relaxed just barely. A human male, his nose informed him. Well, that was no threat at least, like most inuyoukai; a human wouldn't alarm Barou. A mob of them maybe would make him curious, but a lone human walking the forest trails, however skillful, shouldn't be a threat to a powerful demon. No matter, he would wait until the human passed, then follow discreetly. How a human managed to mask his mind so well was a question he'd very much like the answer to.

Then like a mist in the mountain sun, the sensation was gone; all traces of the human's scent had vanished. Barou scowled for moment, irritated. This was far from amusing, his prey had slipped him, just as the angry monster had earlier. He must be getting sloppy, he must be getting lax in his own practice for this to have happened and Barou stood up, intending to resume his search when a hand dropped lightly on his shoulder.

"Still a sneaky bastard, aren't you, Barou?"

He spun to face his attacker, his long cloak whisking over the forest floor. He focused automatically as another youkai would have reached for a weapon, his mind sharpening to the equivalent of tempered steel. And then he stopped, staring in open-mouthed shock at the human appearing face before recognition flooded him.

It had been a very, very long time.

Naota grinned at him, mischief unchanged by time in his dark eyes. His face was unlined by the near century that had passed, not having changed hardly at all since the last time Barou had seen him, just after the Daimyo had died. A few strands of pure white laced in the thick black hair, streaking the long braid over his shoulder. Barou shook himself, shook away the ghosts and moved swiftly to capture the other man in a tight embrace. Naota laughed, his voice ringing in Barou's ears as the two old friends greeted each other.

"Damn you," Barou muttered. "It's been so long, I had thought you were dead. Then I heard a rumor that you returned to the West and I didn't know if I should believe it." He pushed Naota away, looking at him sharply.

"I know you saw Sesshomaru not long ago."

"And he was every bit as pleasant as ever," Naota snapped, irritation in his eyes. Cold dislike colored his tone and Barou blinked at him, the Naota he remembered never sounded so bitter or angry.

"It's been many years," Barou said softly, watching Naota's face. "Can't you set aside your quarrel?"

"It's him that can't set it aside," Naota answered, looking away.

Barou had to concede the fact. "Forgiveness never was strong in his nature," the clanlord offered dryly.

Naota snorted, a faint smile playing along his lips. "It has always been a flaw in his general character," he agreed. "Believe me, I've missed pointing that out to him on a regular basis. Damn the ice faced son of a bitch anyway. Reminds me every time I see him why I never came back."

"You're back now," Barou observed quietly.

A troubled look passed over Naota's face. "Not by my own choice," he confessed uneasily. "Something is biting at me, nagging me in the night so that I can't sleep. I gave up fighting it and came back anyway. I thought I understood why when I returned here several months ago, but that was just the beginning."

"Something dark that haunts your dreams," Barou said, sounding almost dazed himself.

"Yes," Naota bit out, looking away. "You're trying to follow it too, aren't you?"

Barou nodded, feeling his mind pulling away, searching again even as he stood with his old friend. "I've been tracking it for days," he murmured. "Every time I get close, it vanishes and moves elsewhere."

"What is it?" Naota asked, uncomfortable with remembering the dark dreams the thing inspired.

Barou's gray eyes met his briefly, and then slid away as the feeling returned. It made him feel soiled, tainted by even brushing against such a presence. "I don't know, Ta-kun," he whispered, using the old nickname out of long forgotten habit. "Something wrong, something hateful. Something that should have been left alone and not awakened."

"Something that should have been left dead, you mean," Naota muttered.

Barou's expression was utterly serious. "Exactly."

oOo

She was tired, she hated to admit it, but her feet were aching. Sango frowned and firmly told herself to just get over it already because she had far worse things to think about than tired feet. For a start, she'd just vomited the fourth time in the last two hours and was slowing the group considerably.

At least that's what she knew Inuyasha thought about it, the hanyou having made a disgusted sound when she ran for the bushes the last time and was still grumbling at her as if she liked the idea of heaving her stomach's contents all over the place. She met his annoyed look with a feral glare of her own and dared him silently to say one more word to her.

"Damn it, Sango. What's the point of eating if you're just gonna puke it all away?"

She resisted the almost overwhelming urge to march over there and slam Hiraikotsu into his face, mainly because her belly was making that twingey feeling again and a loss of control would ruin the satisfaction of belting Inuyasha as he so richly deserved. Sango didn't have to bother with him anyway, feminine solidarity was in full force these days and the hanyou made a piteous yipe when Kagome grabbed a chunk of his hair and twisted it viciously.

"You just leave her alone," the girl said in a dangerous tone. "She can't help being sick, she's pregnant!"

"We ain't making good time if she's gotta heave her guts every ten minutes," he growled back at her.

Kagome let go of his hair and turned her back on him. "It wouldn't kill you to have a little consideration for what she's going through."

He reflected on that, thinking it just might. Sango's female issues were no concern of his, as far as he could tell this was a plot designed by his brother just to get on his nerves. So Sango was going to have a kid, big deal, it didn't have to end the world. They still had Naraku ready and willing to do that.

Inuyasha sighed and plopped down on the soft grass. No way were they moving anytime soon if Sango was still sick. Kagome would have to fuss over her and get her fresh water to drink. If she could hold it down, which he personally doubted. Having never been sick himself, mortal wounds barely slowing his stride, Inuyasha was incapable of feeling much sympathy for anyone who was sick or laid up from anything other than a pitched battle against the enemy.

Miroku was a little more compassionate in his evaluation of Sango's plight. A woman's body held many mysteries, the greatest of all being the gestation of life itself. He thought that considering the emotional strain the beautiful exterminator was enduring, a bit of nausea and irritability had to be taken for granted. He was far from a midwife himself, but Miroku was no innocent when it came to the human condition.

Carefully, he decided to air the concern that had been nagging at the back of his mind since they'd left the fortress. "Isn't it a bit soon for Sango to be having such strong symptoms of her pregnancy?"

Female eyes fastened onto him as if he'd committed a great sin in discussing such a topic. He was male. He had no right to speculate on what Sango was going through, only Kagome and the expectant mother herself were allowed to make comments regarding her condition. Inuyasha was threatened with violent demise three times a day at least for opening his mouth about it, Shippou was carefully neutral and the only other female in their group, Kirara, was keeping her own counsel.

Miroku looked away from their annoyed gazes and sighed. He was a monk, damn it, he was familiar with the ins and outs of the process of life. And he hoped to have a large family of his own someday, wouldn't it be wise of him to have a thorough understanding of the issues himself?

Apparently not. Kagome made a hissing sound as she exhaled, her teeth clenched. Sango didn't seem to notice, her hands cupping her traitorous belly. "I'm sorry to be a bother," she said at last. Miroku was right, she was having very strong symptoms for a pregnancy not yet two weeks old. Maybe it was because the baby would be half inuyoukai, Sango wasn't sure. Her education and training on demons hadn't covered their life cycles unless that was part of how to kill them.

She did know that she was in for an uncomfortable time of it; human women did not bear easily for demon mates. She felt a flush of shame, remembering what her father had told her about the subject. First, even if it wasn't the woman's fault, as in the case of rape, she couldn't expect her own people to bear the burden of a half demon child in their village. In such cases, her father said, the village could be expected to abandon the child to the wilderness.

That seemed cruel to Sango even then. Now her eyes rested on Inuyasha again, knowing just a little about how difficult his childhood had been. The hanyou didn't like to talk about it, what he didn't say spoke more for how it had been than all the horror stories they could have imagined. Sango resolved to do everything she could for her future son or daughter to make their lives easier.

At least she would be able to protect the child and care for him or her. Even if the child's father had effectively abandoned them both.

And her father would have had things to say on that subject, she just knew it. She wasn't the helpless village woman made victim of a demon's lusts. She had willingly offered herself to this, choosing against her training and her upbringing to couple with a youkai and allow herself to become pregnant.

It annoyed her, it pissed her off that Sesshomaru had admitted that he'd chosen to impregnate her. Although what really else could she have expected? The way they'd been enjoying each other meant that neither of them had the slightest hesitation, she couldn't honestly say she'd held back from him in the slightest.

No, quite the opposite, she'd hungered for his touch in ways that she had never thought possible. It hurt her right down to her soul that he hadn't felt the same way for her.

But she couldn't afford to spend all her time wallowing in misery and regret and she couldn't let her condition slow them up. Naraku was out there planning something heinous and Sango steeled herself to be the one to put an end to it.

"Come on," she said, getting to her feet. Kagome looked at her questioningly and Sango shook her head.

"I'm fine, Kagome-chan." Actually as soon as she'd stood up her stomach roiled in protest. Sango felt the blood rush out of her face, weaving slightly on her feet. Oh gods, not again.

Kagome jumped back as Sango dashed for the bushes, Miroku covered his face with his hand and sighed. Inuyasha, a disgusted grimace on his face, put as much distance as possible between himself and the heaving exterminator. As he didn't want to completely abandon his friends, it meant going straight up the tree with his sleeve firmly over his nose.

Damn, but he was going to kill Sesshomaru for this!

oOo

Sango grunted as she was slammed hard, bringing the broad side of Hiraikotsu up again to fend off her attacker. "Houshi-sama," she shouted as the huge bear-oni shoved her back again.

Miroku spun around and threw a glowing slip of paper at the demon, shouting an incantation as he did so. The monster squalled and clawed at his face where the paper had stuck and begun burning with a purifying intensity. The monk grinned at her then jumped out of the way as he was attacked by another demon, bringing up his staff in a neat arc to throw back the beast.

"All right there, Sango?" he called.

"I'm fine," she snarled. Damn huge bear-oni, terrorizing anything that crossed their path. Sango was getting angrier each minute she fought, thinking of the petrified villagers who had all but been ready to leave their homes over the constant destruction the monsters had been causing. They'd thrown themselves at her feet, begging for help from her and Miroku.

She smiled faintly, bashing the creature again with Hiraikotsu. The villagers had been desperate...so desperate they'd even pleaded for help from Inuyasha. The hanyou had looked astonished, then vastly uncomfortable as the village headman had thrown himself at his feet and called him inuyoukai-sama.

"Please, my lord inuyoukai, please protect us! Your people have always been merciful to humans in these parts, we beg for your assistance!"

Merciful? Inuyasha just shrugged, figuring that even Sesshomaru's men didn't harass humans in their territory without specific instructions. It more surprised him that the villagers recognized him as a dog demon and were unafraid of him because of it. They were obviously terrified of the other youkai and lower oni that had been flooding across the borders. Something had them on the run, he thought gruffly and agreed to help hunt the bears down.

Kagome was just grateful these bears didn't have jewel shards, they were already proving to be better organized and more vicious than the usual variety of lesser youkai they'd encountered. They'd been ambushed almost as soon as they'd entered the deeper forest, a least a dozen bear-oni were waiting for them this time. In such close quarters, Kagome frankly feared striking one of her friends with her arrows and had hauled herself up a tree.

She regretted that she couldn't do more in a fight sometimes; her purification became useless when she couldn't get a clear shot. The day before she'd actually chanced it and Miroku now had a hole in his robe from her arrow. The monk took the near miss in stride, but Kagome didn't. She swore she'd had a clear shot at the demon they'd been fighting, but instead of homing in on the evil presence, her arrow had gone wide and torn a neat hole right through Miroku's sleeve.

Inuyasha didn't mind a close fight, he was just as happy to use his claws and these greasy bastards weren't worth his Tessaiga's time. Sango seemed to wholeheartedly agree with his decision, first using Hiraikotsu as a battering ram against the big demons, and then whipping out katana and dagger to slice at them with glee.

_What the hell has gotten into her_, the hanyou wondered as he ripped into stinking black fur. Sango had ordinarily displayed a fine sense of restraint in battle, a coolness of mind in a fight that he'd come to value very highly. The woman who tore through her enemies with such glee didn't even seem to be the same person. But at least he'd finally gotten his claws into something that mattered and that was good for him. Couldn't let the exterminator have all the fun.

He turned to watch as Sango battled her last demon, neatly backing it into a tree before she stabbed it. Inuyasha scowled at the sight. That wasn't a mortal blow and she knew it, she could have killed it right then but instead her dagger carved a dripping wound into the bear's shoulder, causing it to squall with pain and fury.

Her answering grin made him cold inside, realizing it wasn't an accident. Sango wanted to punish the bear-oni with pain.

"Hey, finish it off already," he barked, irritated. This wasn't the time or place to have fun with a kill, not that he'd ever seen Sango do anything like that before. He could understand the feeling, there had been more than enough times in the past when he'd enjoyed shredding an enemy and making sure he knew it. Sango shot him a furious look and brought her foot up for a savage kick at the creature's throat.

"Don't tell me how to fight, Inuyasha," the girl snarled, her dagger dripping.

"Don't fucking play with it then," he squalled back at her.

Sango shook her bloody blade at him, splattering him with the bear's blood. "I'll do what the fuck I want!"

"She's really been spending too much time around him," Miroku said in a quick aside to Kagome, who was slithering down the tree.

The girl looked down at him, her lip between her teeth. "She's been so angry ever since we left the fortress."

Miroku looked up at her. "I would expect so," he said lightly. "She has reason to be angry. I for one will not provoke her when she's like this." The monk started to smile widely then and Kagome blushed. With her short skirt and her legs clenched on the trunk of the tree, he had an excellent view. She struggled her way down the rough bark, trying not to scratch herself.

Miroku laughed at the dirty look she was giving him and held up his rosary bound arm to help her. "Need a hand, Kagome-sama?"

"Not from you," the girl muttered. "One of your hands is way more help than any female needs."

He sighed; folding his arms and watching Sango and Inuyasha finish off their prey. "One would have thought you'd wouldn't be so edgy about such a thing, I sincerely meant no harm."

"It's not my fault you've got a reputation for putting your hands where they don't belong," the girl scolded.

He raised an eyebrow. "Reputation deserved or not, did you seriously think I'm insane enough to grope you when Inuyasha is in the mood for killing things?"

Kagome laughed at his insulted expression. "It's not Inuyasha you should worry about, it's Sango. I'm not sure any male is safe from her at the moment...look at that poor bear! It makes me feel bad just watching."

The exterminator had mortally wounded the demon and now it made a desperate lunge for escape. Sango started to go after it, still growling angrily, but Inuyasha caught her arm.

"Damn it, the stupid thing is done for. Don't tell me you have to hack it to bits like that slug from yesterday!"

She tore her arm out of his grasp. "I'm a demon exterminator," she said in tense, strangled voice. "I have to kill it. If that thing manages to heal, it will come back twice as nasty and just wait until the right moment to get revenge. It's sloppy to leave one alive, my father trained me better than that!"

He let her go, sighing. Somehow he didn't think Sango and Kohaku's father would be particularly proud at the moment, he hadn't trained them to kill demons and enjoy it. He could smell it on the girl, even through the blood stench. She wasn't done, wasn't satisfied. He knew that feeling too well, that sensation of bloodlust, that wish to cause pain. He only hoped that Sango would slake her desires on the pitiful lesser youkai before she did something she'd truly regret.

Following the blood trail easily, Sango pursued the bear deeper into the forest. She slashed at undergrowth with her blades, tearing the hapless greenery out of her way with a singular determination. "You aren't getting away this time, demon," she muttered.

There, it was huddling in front of a rude hole in the hillside. "Oh, came back to your den to die?" she asked sweetly, licking her lips in anticipation. The bear-oni gave a horrible rumble, its red eyes shining in rage at her. "Come on," the exterminator muttered. "Play with this human, you beast!"

It ran at her, hampered by its injuries and made a wild slash. She could sense the desperation in its moves as she tumbled neatly, springing to her feet with predatory elegance. The blood was beating in her ears now, Sango was panting with excitement. Excitement? She was...aroused by the battle? That had never happened before. There was rage and pain in the pitiful monster's eyes now, it was getting close to exhaustion, bleeding to death from the multiple wounds it had received.

She advanced slowly, thinking to end its pain now that she'd had her fun. The creature threw itself at her again, wild to keep her away from its den and the long claws caught her leg and Sango hissed as the scratches started to bleed freely.

"Don't want me near your hole, demon?" she hissed. She jumped over it and rammed her katana into the monster's shoulder, disabling it as the beast fell to the ground, snarling and garbling in its intelligible language. This variety of demon wasn't smart enough to make speech with a human; it was barely capable of articulating to its own kind. It was a filthy beast and she felt vindicated at she kicked it over and brought her sharp blades to bear on its throat.

"Nothing personal," the exterminator growled happily. "You see, your kind eats my kind, it's my duty to end your life."

The bear looked at her dumbly, too hurt to move. She plunged both blades into its throat, feeling certain exultation as the life force flowing in weak youki waves from the slain demon stopped. She stood, wiping her katana on the thick fur.

"Your kind kills humans," she repeated, her eyes glimmering still. "You're a filthy demon, a monster, the world is better off without you. Demons and humans can't mix, don't you understand?"

She stood up and her eyes fell on the hole that the creature had wanted to protect. "Let's see what you have here," she murmured, sheathing her blades. If there were human remains left in the den, she'd have to gather them, see they got to Miroku for a proper burial. It was the least she could do and Sango knew that several peasants had gone missing since the attacks began.

There was barely enough light for her to see inside, a dirty hole filled with bones and fur. At least none were human, she thought grimly, feeling around on her hands and knees. She could tell the bones were too small for human, wrong shape for them too. That made her feel a little better, graves made her sad and always brought back memories of her own slain village. Her hand fell on something warm and she jerked in response.

A thin wail pierced the air and Sango froze, her eyes going wide with fear. Slowly, she drew the warm bundle to her and crawled out of the hole. A tiny cub, a baby bear-oni looked up at her with big, scared eyes. _The bear had young_, she thought, feeling the tremble in arms as she looked at it. _No_, she told herself, _it's a demon and it will grow up just like the one I killed and be a vicious monster_. She had to kill it.

The cub whimpered and struggled, pinching at her with its useless little claws. "I can't," she whispered, horrified. She couldn't kill something so little and helpless. She could already tell that it was too young to survive, if she left it alone it would surely die, easy prey for bigger monsters that lurked in the darkness. Her eyes fell on the dead oni, feeling hot bile start to gather at the back of her throat. It had nothing to do with morning sickness.

_That's why it had run_, she thought dully. _It had to stay alive for its young, even if it meant giving up a fight_.

"You wanted to save your baby," the girl said, her whole body starting to shake. _Oh merciful gods_, she thought, hot tears leaking down her face. "What have I done?" she asked brokenly. The cub started to whine a little, her tears falling on its face.

"What am I becoming?" Sango murmured. "I don't want this. Sesshomaru, I can't do this alone. Why did you do this to me?"

A snarl from behind her had her turning, too late, far too late. The blow sent her reeling, the little cub bounding out of her arms and scampering on the ground to its other parent. _Gods above, I never thought about its mate!_

Sango tried to draw her sword but a heavy blow from the enraged bear-oni shattered her arm. She screamed in sudden pain, turning to protect herself when the bear's sharp claws raked down her back. A hot and sticky sensation dripped down her backbone, she was bleeding badly. She had to get away, get back to her friends so they could help her.

Staggering, she tried to get up, but the bear wasn't having it. Just as she'd not let its mate live after retreating, no more would it extend such a courtesy to her. She kept trying anyway, dragging herself away. Tiny teeth and claws tripped her, clamping down on her leg as the baby oni savaged her, tearing at the soft flesh of her thighs in hunger and fury. She batted it away but the tiny demon came back again, this time heading for her face and she just barely brought her good arm up in time to keep it from taking her throat.

The large bear hovered over her, saliva dripping from its jaws. She'd make a good meal for it and its cub before they escaped; it was only natural to hunt such prey. Sango pulled out her dagger, ready to defend herself to the last even as the bear's claws ripped into her again; tearing away the centipede hide armor and shredding it like rice paper.

Funny, she'd never thought to die like this; she'd always assumed she'd die facing down Naraku as she made him pay for her family.

It was too bad, she'd never get a chance to have that vengeance she'd been so desperate for, the revenge she'd even lost her love to, for her lover didn't want a human who loved revenge more than him. _That's it_, she thought, blood loss making her dreamy. _No wonder he wouldn't understand, he was so angry. He thought I loved my revenge against Naraku more than I love him and Sesshomaru just isn't the kind of person to ever accept second place_.

What a fool he was. She girl smiled, thinking of his face as she perished was the only thing that could have made her happy. He'll never know how much she really loved him, beyond anger, beyond revenge and mistrust, her love burned every bit as brightly as demon's golden eyes. The bear was closer now, ready for the kill. Sango smiled and closed her eyes, thinking of silken white hair dancing in the wind and the whisper of his lips caressing hers with the gentlest of kisses she'd ever known.


	31. ThirtyOne

_**Chapter ThirtyOne**_

Kohaku walked slowly down the corridor to his room. He felt bad about pushing Rin away, but he didn't feel like talking to anyone. It had been hard saying goodbye to Sango, hard not knowing when he'd see his sister again. She'd looked so upset, so pained at having to leave him like this. He supposed he should be grateful that Sesshomaru hadn't sent him away, grateful that the youkai lord was still interested in preserving his life.

Gratitude was far from what Kohaku felt. He felt a burning anger at his circumstances, anger at being trapped here by Tenseiga when he should be looking out for his sister. And he felt a burning, gnawing fury at the demon lord who had so callously cast her to the side. It wasn't fair, he'd been so sure everything would work out and that his sister would be happy with Sesshomaru.

He'd felt so helpless, watching her try to pull herself together after Sesshomaru rejected her, told her that everything meant nothing and froze her human heart with his icy cruel words. It hurt, he still wasn't sure he shouldn't have gone after the demon lord to express how angry it made him, those tears. Sango brushed them away from her cheeks and tried to smile at him. Failed miserably, but she had tried.

"Kohaku," she said, clinging to his name like it was all she had left to live for. "I have to leave."

"Sister," he said and for the life of him didn't know what to say next. She knew why he had to stay behind and why she couldn't let him follow her however much he longed to stay at her side. Sesshomaru had explained it to her; he was sure when he saw the dark pain in her eyes. Sango went to him and pulled him against her.

"No matter what I do," she said with an edge of desperation in her voice. "I keep losing you, Kohaku. At least if you stay with...if you stay here, I'll know that you're alive and protected from Naraku. That's all I can really ask."

"I don't care," he said, his words muffled against her chest. "I want to stay with you."

"And I want you to stay alive," she said fiercely, squeezing him so tight that he thought she'd crush him. He hugged her back just as hard, wanting her to remember him, wanting to etch the feeling of her in his mind. He'd never forget again, he promised himself that much. Even if they had to be apart now, he would never again forget his sister's face or the love she felt for him, everything she sacrificed to save him.

Sesshomaru couldn't possibly want him around. There had to be some way around the sword's hold over him, some way to cut the bond that held him bound to an angry youkai lord.

"This is all your fault, you two idiots!"

Kohaku pulled away from his sister to see Kagome menacing Inuyasha and Kouga. The wolf looked too confused to understand why she was mad at him but Inuyasha looked uncomfortably aware of his transgression. The girl shoved the hanyou hard.

"If I could sit you right now," she growled.

"But you can't," he sneered back angrily.

Kagome flushed and turned away. "I know, but you deserve it this time." Everyone immediately looked elsewhere, the tension in the courtyard more than any sane person wanted to endure.

Inuyasha spat angrily at the ground and folded his arms. "Don't blame me for this," he said in a soft, dangerous tone. "I told you from the start this is what he'd do."

Kohaku felt Sango flinch and tightened his hand on hers. "It will be okay, sister," he murmured. Kagome saw the siblings clinging to each other and felt her righteous anger at Inuyasha dissolve. There were more important things to worry about.

"Oh Kohaku, Sango," she murmured. "I'm so sorry."

"As am I," a voice said quietly. Kohaku felt a soft hand on his shoulder and looked up at Makiko, her eyes soft with pity.

The youkai woman met Sango's gaze. "I've taken care of your things and packed some provisions for your journey," the woman said in a kind, neutral tone. She wasn't going to comment further, but saw no reason to send them away without this much. It seemed the least she could manage; it was the only option she had left.

Sango nodded, dropping her eyes as a humiliated flush colored her skin. The inuyoukai was kind natured and loyal, but Sango knew that loyalty didn't extend to her anymore. Gently, she removed Kohaku's hand from hers; it was just too painful to touch him now.

"Please, Makiko-san," she said formally, bowing slightly even as the woman's eyes widened at her actions. "I beg you, watch over my little brother. You seem fond of him and I will sleep better knowing that someone here cares about him."

Her mouth opened then shut again. Makiko nodded slowly, her hand on Kohaku's shoulder. "I will what I can," she said simply, not liking that she promised an obligation to a human, especially a human that her lord now found in disfavor. She had liked the exterminator, had looked forward to having her at the fortress and she was as fond of Kohaku as she was as of Rin.

It was not in her nature to question Sesshomaru-sama's decisions or speculate on a personal matter that was truly none of her business. Silently, she turned away and went back to her kitchen, not bidding the humans goodbye, but wishing them luck just the same.

Kagome reached over to hug Kohaku goodbye, sensing that Sango needed a moment or two to compose herself. "I'll miss you, Kohaku-kun," she said lightly, rubbing his hair. "I hope I'll see you again soon."

"Be careful," he advised, blushing hard as she was holding him very close. He felt her hand wander down his arm and something was pressed into his palm. He pulled away, staring at her questioningly. Sango wasn't looking at him; she didn't see what Kagome had done.

"Do you understand?" the girl asked, watching Kohaku's face.

"You want me to keep it?" he asked, surprised. His hand had tightened on the small glass jar and the single shard of Shikon no Tama it contained.

"I know what I'm asking," Kagome whispered, hating to ask Kohaku to watch over the same shard that had enslaved him. Inuyasha would probably just die if he knew what she was doing, but right now she didn't care about the offended hanyou or his opinion.

"It's the last piece," she told him. "Naraku will do anything to have it. This is probably the one place he can't attack openly, one place it's too dangerous to think of looking for it."

He had to agree with that. Inuyoukai took their security seriously and even a puppet or a shape shifter would have a hard time getting past guards that were trained by Jano. He understood the necessity of what she asked, and the sacrifice on his part. He couldn't leave and hunt the demon as he longed to, he couldn't protect his sister. He couldn't even challenge Sesshomaru over Sango's honor. But he could watch over this tiny shard and keep it safe.

"You may rely on me, Kagome-sama," he said. She could rely on the honor of the demon exterminators in this duty.

He would not fail.

oOo

Miroku had been worried, anxious since Sango took off after the bear-oni on her own. Part of him wanted to just let her be; she had to work it out one way or another. Better that she took out her aggression on hapless monsters and lower demons rather than well meaning holy men.

The monk glanced up, hearing Kagome continue to mutter under her breath as she dug a rock out of her shoe. Across the small clearing, Inuyasha was squatting on a fallen log, his arms folded across his chest and resting on his knees, glowering into the trees. Miroku raised an eyebrow and didn't comment. Even by his usual standards, Inuyasha was being a bastard to everyone.

Part of him reflected that it was just foul temper, just annoyance at Sesshomaru for being, well, Sesshomaru and also still nursing a burning anger with a certain wolf demon. Miroku sighed heavily. Maybe if he made himself absent also, Inuyasha and Kagome would talk about whatever was eating them. Either that or run off into the woods for his personal best idea of how to relieve a little tension.

Well, it was about all he could do and Miroku stood up, stretching like he hadn't a care in the world. He needed to be devious now; project nonchalance and disregard or his quarry would sense he was up to something. Kagome gave him a curious look as he made his way towards her, his expression open and innocent as a babe before he swooped down on the unsuspecting kitsune.

"Hey!" Shippou twisted in his grip, not particularly liking it when the monk snagged him by the tail. "What gives?"

"I was thinking you'd like to take a walk with me," the monk said winningly.

The fox looked frankly suspicious. "And why would I want to do something like that?"

If there was one thing he was proud of, it was his ability to charm and persuade. "I'm concerned about Sango," Miroku told Shippou. "She's not herself and she might need our assistance. My spiritual powers are only good up to a certain point; I might actually need the strength of a real demon if she needs help."

"You need me?" Shippou squeaked, staring at the smooth talking monk in disbelief. "Since when?"

He frowned, and then wiped the expression off his face to show only affable good humor. "Shippou, you should know that I have always considered to be a most valuable ally and greatly underestimated in both your courage and your strength."

"Were you born knowing how to bullshit like that?" Inuyasha asked, sarcasm dripping in his tone. He jumped off the fallen tree and stalked over to them, glaring at the kitsune. "Courage?"

"I got lots of courage," the little fox snapped, looking extremely put out as he dangled from Miroku's hand.

Inuyasha snickered. "Yeah, I've seen it all the time. You're real brave until you get yourself into real trouble. Then you yell for someone to save your ass."

Shippou ripped his tail out of Miroku's fingers and sprang at the hanyou, his little claws clamping onto the silvery hair with a furious deathgrip. "Take that back, stupid dog!"

"Make me, runt!" Inuyasha started swatting at the kitsune and suddenly howled when Shippou sank his sharp little teeth into a tender ear.

"You shit!"

The fox let go and darted over to Kagome, climbing over the girl's shoulder and sticking out his tongue at the furious Inuyasha. "Did I hurt your widdle ear?" he taunted.

"I'm gonna hurt your widdle ass," Inuyasha growled, coming after him.

Kagome jumped to her feet. "Don't you dare," she hissed. Inuyasha glared at her, ignoring Shippou's smirk. For a moment he tried to come up with the perfect retort and failing, just turned his back on them both.

"Whatever," he muttered, sounding hurt and angry.

Kagome's face instantly softened and she gently brushed Shippou aside. "Inuyasha," she said quietly.

"Spare me," he snapped, storming off into the forest. He didn't even want to look at either of them right now and thought that Sango had the right idea. It just felt better when you had something to kill.

Miroku looked disapprovingly at Shippou. "Nice work. Couldn't have planned it better myself." Kagome had just sat down after Inuyasha left, a confused and unhappy expression on her face.

"Why is he acting like this?" she murmured.

She'd thought everything would be perfect. She loved him and he loved her and now everything was just going to hell again. He'd barely even looked at her since they'd left the fortress. A couple of times she'd reached out, tried to catch his arm or take his hand but he'd managed to slip away, acting like he didn't notice. It hurt, but she'd been distracted by everything going on with Sango and just pushed it away in her mind.

The girl scowled, forgetting that Miroku and Shippou were watching her closely. Inuyasha was just going to have to get over his selfishness, there was too much at stake and too many other people were hurting. Kagome shook her head, briskly getting up and rooting around in her backpack for a fresh pair of socks.

At least they knew about laundry at that fortress.

oOo

Miroku made his way through the forest, resisting the mighty urge to swat Shippou with his staff. The fox was perturbed, following along with a confused expression his usually happy face. "I don't know why what I did was so wrong!"

The monk glanced down at him. "Shippou, I was trying to give Inuyasha and Kagome a chance to talk privately. Your antics only made the tension worse."

"I didn't know what you were doing," the fox grumbled. "Why didn't you just come out and say it?"

"There is such a thing as tact."

"You were being sneaky!"

He sighed, stopping to look seriously down at the young kitsune. "Sometimes you need to be sneaky in order to get things done. Our friends need to talk things out and they won't do it while we're listening to them."

Shippou looked even more confused. "What makes you think they'll talk if we aren't there? You know how stubborn Inuyasha is and how stupid he can be."

Miroku rubbed his face, annoyed. "That's not the point."

"Then what is?" the kitsune demanded. "Why are they being so dumb?"

He shook his head and started walking again. "Because they're in love, Shippou. Sometimes people do stupid things when they're in love."

"Inuyasha must be in love all the time then," Shippou answered. "He must be full of love for everything and everyone to be that stupid."

The monk grinned. "You might be on to something there, my friend." He turned to look at Shippou, but the young fox was standing still, staring into the trees.

"Miroku," he said, fear starting to color his tone. "I smell blood."

He peered into the darkening forest. "Where? Can you tell what it is?"

Shippou was starting to tremble and suddenly dashed into the trees. "Sango!"

"Damn," Miroku said, and tore after him.

When he finally got there, he thought his heart was going to stop from terror. A huge bear-oni, bigger than any of the ones they'd met in battle earlier, was poised over Sango's prone body, the exterminator lying helpless under the massive, gnarled claws.

Shippou didn't hesitate, didn't so much as flinch. For all Inuyasha taunted him about his courage in battle, nothing would have kept the small fox from running to save one of his friends.

"Foxfire!" he shrieked, blasting the demon bear with all he had.

A brilliant flash filled the small clearing, the bear turning in his direction blindly, snarling in rage at being denied his kill. Shippou dodged agilely, easily avoiding the sharp-clawed paws that were bigger than his entire body. As long as he could distract it from Sango, there was still at chance. "Miroku!" he shouted.

The monk ran stumbling into the clearing, already pulling a handful of sutras from his robe. He flung them into the bear's face, the creature snarling as the spiritual wards burned into its flesh. Miroku shouted an incantation and brought his staff down on the beast's head. Again the huge oni shrieked, this time pulling away and trying to escape him. Shippou jumped after the bear, pelting it with rocks.

"Get out of here!" the small fox cried, driving it away with another blast of foxfire.

Miroku knelt at Sango's side. The exterminator's face was pale, blood seeping from numerous gashes on her body. "This is bad," he muttered, stripping off his outer robe to wrap tightly around her. He had to at least try to slow the bleeding before he tried to move her. The young woman stirred, a grimace of pain clouding her features.

"Sango," he said urgently. "Sango, hang on. I've got you, you're safe now." Gently, he lifted her, easily gathering her into his arms to carry her back to their campsite. "Sango, can you hear me?"

She whimpered against his neck. "I knew you'd come for me," she said thickly. She seemed half delirious from blood loss, her voice slurred and painful.

"I'd always come for you," he whispered, squeezing her tightly. "Don't you know I love you?"

Her head lolled back, her face slack and barely conscious. He wanted her to open her eyes, be all right and tell him she'd heard what he told her. "Sango?"

"Sesshomaru..." Her voice faded away as she slipped back into unconsciousness.

It hurt. _She thought I was him_, Miroku thought dully. She wanted him to be Sesshomaru. A burning ache began somewhere deep inside his chest, like a newly healed scab had been torn open and was bleeding. He couldn't breathe from the exquisite pain of it and had to force himself to move. Sango was badly injured; she needed him to get her back to their camp so they could treat her wounds. This much blood loss could be lethal for her baby as well as Sango herself.

Grim, but determined to endure whatever he had to, Miroku refused to meet Shippou's saddened eyes.

Just as he managed to pry his feet off the ground, clutching her as tightly as a promise to his aching chest, Miroku heard the sounds of something crashing through the trees towards him. He froze; ready to drop the injured exterminator in case he needed to defend them. The sounds grew louder, something was thrashing itself his way in a terrible temper.

"Shippou," he said softly, hoping the kitsune would understand and toss him his staff the moment he let Sango drop.

The fox nodded tensely, and then sniffed the air, his eyes wide. "Miroku, it's..." he said.

The monk stared as Jano suddenly burst out of the trees, sword drawn and looking deeply alarmed. The inuyoukai's nose was twitching and Miroku realized that Jano had also scented Sango's blood and made a frantic dash through the woods to find her. Their eyes met, Miroku in confusion and Jano horrified as he took in Sango's battered and blood soaked body.

"Shit," the bodyguard whispered, his face ashen. "Don't tell me I'm too late."

oOo

It was like coming back to herself after being gone for a very long time. She hurt; Sango understood that, feeling a throbbing ache that was consuming her entire body. If she'd had a choice about it, she might have considered staying asleep. Unconsciousness was much more easy to bear than waking up to a battered and abused body.

No, she couldn't stay asleep, she could hear her friends speaking to her, Miroku's voice gentle and urgent, Kagome's begging to be all right. She didn't like the sadness in their tones; she didn't want anyone to worry over her. She was an exterminator; she could take care of herself. Didn't they know?

One eyelid slowly pried back, Sango wincing as she managed to fully wake up. Two eyelids then, she might as well get it over with. Kagome's face hovered over her own, concerned and drawn with tension.

"Sango?" she asked, reaching for the exterminator's good hand. "Can you hear me?"

For some reason, she'd been thinking that he had come for her. How stupid. Sesshomaru didn't love her; he probably didn't give a damn if she died, taking his baby along with her. What else could she have expected from a youkai? She really should try to get over it, what was done was done. But a little part of her still cried for him, a little part that couldn't be ignored.

It was the part of her that was afraid to be alone, the part of her that was sick to death of fighting all the time. She couldn't suppress a shudder at the resentment that little part stirred. It told her that she'd made a damned big mistake in choosing revenge masquerading as duty. As much as she had loved her family, Sango was getting awfully tired of being the one to carry the burden of a slain village on her shoulders.

_Didn't I deserve some happiness_, she thought, easing back again so she could rest. She still hadn't answered Kagome but her fingers tightened when the girl's warm hand covered her own. She pressed gently so that her friend would know she was listening, but Sango really wanted a chance to think a little bit.

She was selfish and she was being petty. Didn't her village, her father, deserve to be avenged? Didn't Naraku deserve to be stopped? Didn't her little brother deserve to sleep peacefully at night, knowing that the monster was dead and would never be hungering after his soul?

Sango chided herself for being so foolish. Yes, she loved Sesshomaru. Yes, it had brought her pain when she left him, taking herself away from him to follow the path that she couldn't waver from. Oh it still hurt, the fact that he'd never seen her as more than an amusement. His words were burned in her mind. And still, damn her, she couldn't stop herself from loving him and wanting him even so.

Harsh voices interrupted her reflections and Sango realized that she had very nearly slipped back into the peaceful darkness. It was understandable, her stupidity had gotten her injured, and her body wanted time and peace to heal. A rush of realization then, her baby.

Sango opened her eyes, trying to sit up despite Kagome's hissed protests. Her baby, had she hurt it? In her mad angry lust for blood, had she managed to lose that also?

"My baby," she whispered fearfully, meeting Kagome's concern. "Is it okay?"

"I think your baby is fine," Miroku's voice said calmly. His smooth and gentle tone never failed to soothe her, and Sango's heart eased back just a bit. The monk reached out and touched her shoulder lightly, urging her to lie back again.

"Your injuries were not severe," he told her quietly. There was an odd look in his eyes, a grief and strange resolution. "You have a broken arm and several deep gashes, but you seem to be recovering well."

"See," Inuyasha's voice sounded bitter. "She's okay. You can get the fuck out of here now. We don't need you."

"It's not that simple." Sango's eyes widened slightly as she recognized the voice. She pushed herself up on her good elbow, her broken arm splinted and bound tightly to her chest.

"Jano-san?" she murmured, looking questioningly at the black haired youkai when he turned to face her. "What are you doing here?"

He grinned, happy to see her conscious. "Apparently nothing useful, I came too late to help. Shippou and Miroku had already taken care of your attacker."

Attacker? With a rush, she remembered the angry bear-oni she'd been fighting with, remembered how it had torn into her flesh with a savage anger. Then nausea gripped her, thinking of her delight in slaughtering its mate, the way she'd worked her dagger to cause the maximum amount of pain and damage without a lethal blow.

She'd played with it; she'd acted like a heartless youkai herself, torturing the creature and pursuing it into the forest when it went to protect its young. The tiny cub's wide eyes, the way those sharp little claws had turned on her. She'd felt sorry for it, regretting what she'd done and even the baby oni had exacted its revenge, mocking her for her pity and reviling her for her actions.

Revenge. The taste of it was constantly on her tongue these days, gnawing at her with an insistence she found difficult to ignore. Costly, capable of making her pay dearly with what she cared about. She shook her head, her denial more at what had happened than to Jano's reply.

"That's not what I meant," she said quietly. "Why are you here now?"

He looked uncomfortable, a little sheepish. "I was ordered," he said softly, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"To come after me?" she answered, just as soft. No one said anything, even Inuyasha held his tongue, watching the bodyguard for his response. "Did he send you to take me back?"

"No," Jano said, studying the patterns the dying sunlight flung up against the trees. It was sunset, the sky darkening as the forest settled in for the evening. Miroku had built a small fire as soon as they'd returned with Sango's unconscious, bloody body. Kagome had immediately set to the business of dressing the deep scratches, binding the broken arm as best she knew how.

Jano thought she did a good job of field dressing, a little surprised by some of the methods she used. He'd felt the break in her arm himself, wincing a bit for her pain when he'd felt the heat and swelling of the injury. It looked to be a fracture, maybe more than one. In any case, the exterminator wouldn't be doing any fighting with that arm for some time. He reflected that it might be wise to try and persuade her to return to Sesshomaru under the circumstances.

He knew she was still waiting for his reply; she would wait all night, watching him impassively with those huge dark eyes. Jano looked down at his hands and sighed. This was the part he'd been dreading, he'd actually hoped to be able to follow Sango at a discreet distance, watching her and protecting her without her being any the wiser. Now he was here, looking at her confused, battered face and he had to face the misery his lord had caused with no way of comforting it.

"I'm sorry, Sango," he said quietly, still not looking her in the eye. Makiko would say he was a coward, but he really didn't want to see her pain. "I don't know why he did what he did and I'm sorry for that. But I have my orders and I'm not going to defy them. I'm supposed to protect you. I apologize that I didn't get here in time to spare you those injuries."

"Protect me?" Sesshomaru's words still echoed in her mind. _You have been an amusement, nothing more. I am no longer amused with you now_. She shook her head, wincing a bit as new pains made them known. "For how long?"

Jano met her gaze unhappily. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Inuyasha sneered. He thought he'd heard just about enough. They were done with Sesshomaru and all his damn people. At this point, he really didn't give a shit if he ever met another inuyoukai for the rest of his life.

They hadn't listened to him when he'd warned Sango about his brother. Someone had to be realistic, not caught up in all that romantic crap that had been spewed around. He was sick of it, he was angry as hell and covering it up by acting like a prick, he knew it.

The truth was that deep inside him, in a place he didn't like to touch, he ached for Sango and the child she would bear. He knew too well what it meant to be rejected, cast aside like something dirty, something worthless. It burned him with an unreasonable fury that Sesshomaru had thrown someone else away.

But Sesshomaru wasn't here for him to vent at, all he had left was Jano. Slowly, he advanced on his brother's bodyguard, smiling his most unpleasant smile. He had a message for Jano to deliver, one he'd like to hand Sesshomaru himself, but this would have to do for now.

They didn't need him to watch over Sango or anyone else.

Jano took note of the hanyou's serious expression and groaned inwardly. This was a confrontation he'd expected, but that didn't mean he'd been looking forward to it. The young half demon stopped, staring at him fixedly.

"I don't care what that bastard ordered you to do," Inuyasha said in a cold voice that would have been worthy of Sesshomaru. "I want you to leave, we don't need you and we don't want you around. Same for that stuck up prick, you tell him I said so."

His eyes narrowed. Nobody took that tone with him, nobody who knew him well. "And if I refuse?" Jano said, half in challenge.

There was no mistaking the deadly look that entered the hanyou's eyes. "I'll make you leave."

Tension filled the small clearing as the two dog demons stood eye to eye. "Okay," Jano said softly, not backing down. "I will respect your wishes, hanyou-sama."

Inuyasha rocked back on his heels; he'd been expecting a fight. Jano just stood there, hands clasped behind his back and not looking at all intimidated for someone who had just given in. Inuyasha found that to be extremely suspicious in itself. It was a trap, it had to be.

"Yeah right," he snarled, glaring at Jano. "What kind of idiot do you think I am?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

_This could get unpleasant_, Kagome decided, and jumped into the confrontation herself. "Inuyasha," she said quietly, touching his arm. "He said he'd leave, what more do you want?"

He yanked his arm away from her, scowling. "I'll believe it when I see him leave," he snapped.

Jano tilted his head to the side, not missing the strange tension between the hanyou and the girl. "You'll see me leave," he said easily. "You won't see me following. I'm not one to go against my lord's wishes. Even when he's being a pigheaded fool, a well known family trait from what I understand."

He turned his back on Inuyasha, dropping to one knee beside Sango. "I mean it," he said quietly. "I will protect you with my life, even if you don't want me to."

Her gaze was veiled, guarded. "I don't need anyone's protection," she said finally, her fingers picking at the bandage wrapped around her arm. "I'm used to taking care of myself. I don't know why he told you to come here, I think it's best if you leave."

Very slowly, he reached over and touched the back of her hand. "I know this must be hard for you," he said.

Her gaze tore up to meet his. "Do you really?" she asked, a trace of bitterness in her tone. "How the hell could you possibly know what I'm feeling? Do you know how it feels to give yourself to someone and have them throw you away and make you feel worthless? All because you swore a vow to avenge the lives of the ones you loved?"

"I know about loyalty," he answered steadily. "And I know about pride. And I know a great deal about being stupid and stubborn. I'm asking you, on behalf of a friend, to not fight this."

"A friend?" Sango asked sarcastically. "Is that how he sent you, as a friend?"

Jano smiled faintly. "I wasn't talking about Sessh. He's the most stubborn bastard I know and hell itself will freeze over before he admits he might be wrong. The friend I spoke of was Kohaku. Your brother wants you to stay alive, so remember he has a better idea than the rest of us about what you're up against."

"Kohaku," Sango murmured, looking away. Tears welled in her eyes and slowly slipped down her face. In her self-absorbed pity, being angry at everything, she had very nearly forgotten him. That hurt, which was unforgivable. Maybe it was just the trauma of getting injured, maybe it was her hormones going crazy again, but Sango felt her resistance melt and fade away and she had to control herself otherwise she really was going to turn into a sobbing wet heap.

"Maybe you should stay."

oOo

He was terrified; he was running through a darkened forest. Things, horrible slimy things were after him and he couldn't get away. His breath caught in his throat, he stumbled over some gnarled tree roots. He'd dropped his weapon, he didn't know how because he'd tried so hard to fight. This time there was no fighting, this time he couldn't get away. Naraku was going to find him, he knew where he'd run to, and he knew where his sister was hiding.

Kohaku choked in terror, scrambling up again. He had to find Sango, he had to warn her!

Sobbing now, he stumbled his way towards her, fighting with all his strength, with every step to keep moving. It didn't matter if he was hurt; nothing that happened to him really mattered. What was important was Sango; he had to find his sister before it was too late.

She was walking into a trap and she didn't even know it. If Naraku got to her first...Kohaku didn't see any reason to keep on living after that. The village where she was staying wasn't far away now, he was sure to be in time to warn her, keep her from danger, and protect her, as he always should have.

Then he was there, he saw her, standing alone, turning to face him. Her face lit in a happy smile, her hair falling over her shoulder and her hands reaching out to him. Relieved, he ran towards her, not seeing the danger rising up behind her, the demon that had lain concealed. He shouted a warning too late...always too late.

Naraku's laugh echoed in his head and Kohaku fell to his knees from the pain of it. His sister was lifted up, bright blood pouring from the massive wound at her throat. She was bleeding to death right in front of him and still he was helpless to move, frozen in time, his knees sinking deeper into the soft, malignant earth.

Horrified, he tried to struggle up, but his legs were held tight. Worms and slimy crawling things, many legged things came out of the ground and swarmed over his thighs. He swatted at them frantically with his hands, but still they ate into him, consuming his living flesh.

Naraku smiled and presented his sister's lifeless body to him. "You're still mine, Kohaku," the monster leered. "Thank you for giving me your sister as well. With a shard in her body, she will make a most useful servant."

"You leave her alone!" he cried. "Take me instead!"

"I already have you both," Naraku hissed. Kohaku stared as his sister's eyes opened, lifeless and blank, accusing him with their emptiness. She slowly turned away from him, opening her arms to Naraku instead, letting the monster touch her; run his clawed hands down her back so that her yukata fell away in shreds and Kohaku could see the terrible scar on her back.

His scar, the one he'd given her with his own two hands.

Naraku tilted her head back and devoured her lips with a hungry kiss. Kohaku thought he was dying, the light around them was rippling and as he watched, Naraku became taller, stronger, feeding on his sister's soul. His inky black hair started to lighten, falling around him in molten silver strands. Kohaku could only hear the thudding of his own heart when Sesshomaru raised his golden eyes and looked at him, slowly lifting his lips from Sango's and smiled with Naraku's horrible, mocking grin.

Kohaku screamed.

oOo

Sesshomaru sat up, going from light sleep to instant wakefulness, a surge of angry power boiling in his veins. Something had disturbed his rest, disturbed it to the point where his demon aura was crackling around his body like muted lightning. Snarling, not bothering to dress, the youkai lord strode naked from his bedchamber to the balcony outside his study.

He threw open the door with a mere touch of his power, setting the ancient casement vibrating against the stone. The night was cool; the wind tore at his hair, whipping the silver white mass into a frenzied cloud. Dark destruction glowed in his eyes as he regarded first the waning moon, shining cool and implacable as a demon lord's soul.

His gaze cast outward, towards the mountains, the pass that Jano had recently traveled upon his orders. His mind sought her, instincts older than time were at work and Sesshomaru stood frozen with the marble perfection of a statue while the moonlight poured over him and lit his pale skin with an eerie luminescence.

Instinct. When nothing else could be trusted, an inuyoukai believed his instincts. He didn't have to see, didn't have to hear, but his mind answered to a different call, an ancient call, one that could not be denied. With a hiss of pure rage, he stormed back inside to dress and make ready for battle. He knew.

His mate had been injured.

There would be hell to pay.


	32. ThirtyTwo

_**Chapter ThirtyTwo**_

Naota stared at the ruined village, a sneer on his lips. "This," he said, waving his hand in disgust. "This is why I hate demons."

Barou raised an eyebrow, his arms folded impassively over his chest. "Thanks."

The hanyou turned and cast him an appraising look. "Present company excluded," he said in a dark mutter.

Around them was a ruin, a small village had been torn apart and Naota had seen enough destruction in his lifetime to understand that these miserable peasants hadn't even seen the danger until it was too late. The small huts were demolished, the possessions of their former occupants strewn about carelessly.

It didn't look like a raid by marauding bandits; it didn't look like the work of soldiers. _No_, he thought grimly, averting his eyes from the corpse of a child. _Only a demon could wreak this kind of wanton destruction and pain. Only a youkai would enjoy it so much to be so deliberate and savage at the same time_.

It made him sick.

Moving with light steps, he pressed on through the carnage, his nose wrinkling with the strong scent of rotting blood. It had been at least a day or more since the slaughter, he was mildly surprised that no scavengers had arrived to pick the dead. In Naota's mind, that meant only one thing.

Whatever monster had done this had been so horrifying that even the beasts of the forest were scared to come closer.

Just because he had been born with no demon characteristics didn't mean that his instincts weren't sharp. He didn't need youki to guide his intuition. Experience, regret, and memories of the past were sufficient for him.

"It was him, whatever the hell he is," Naota said at last.

Barou picked his way over to his companion. They'd been tracking the monster, using a combination of his mental search and Naota's exceptional tracking skills. As a demon himself, and not inclined to be sentimental, he knew he was less affected by the destruction than his hanyou friend.

"Naota," he said quietly. "We have to tell Sesshomaru about this. That thing is heading straight into inuyoukai territory. If your cousin can move quickly enough, perhaps we can prevent this from happening again."

He snorted with an old bitterness. "Since when does Sesshomaru give a damn if humans are slaughtered? That cold bastard will think someone's doing him a favor."

"You might be wrong about that," Barou said delicately. Ever since he'd left the fortress, he'd been pondering over it. Something had changed their cousin to the point that he might no longer see humans as something inferior. Awfully hard to keep an attitude like that when one of the humans was sharing your bed at night. Then again, he could be entirely wrong on the subject. Sesshomaru's mind couldn't be read, hell, he could barely be counted on to be predictable.

Barou opened his mouth, intending to let Naota in on exactly how Sesshomaru's mind might have changed regarding humans and half bloods, when he sensed something approaching them. "Naota," he said tensely, watching the forest. "We have company."

The hanyou didn't move, but Barou could sense him suddenly change, his aura darkening noticeably. For someone without demon energy, the amount of human _ki_ he put out was staggering. "What is it?" he asked Barou. "Is it the thing that did this?"

"I don't think so," Barou answered. They stood still and waited until a sudden wind blasted into the destroyed village. Both Barou and Naota turned away as they were pelted with dirt from a whirlwind that had appeared out of thin air.

"Damn it!" a gruff voice shouted.

When the dust settled, they were looking at a seemingly ill-tempered wolf-youkai. He surveyed the surrounding village, eying the broken bodies of dead peasants with purely selfish annoyance. "I missed him," the wolf announced, searching the destruction with steel blue eyes. "I fucking missed him again."

"Are you actually looking for the monster that did this?" Naota asked, bringing the wolf's attention to himself. "You're looking for that thing that butchered these people? Why do you care about this village?"

The wolf gave him a cold stare. "I don't give a damn what he did or why. My reasons are personal; I'm going to kill that fucking monster."

"Why?" Naota shot at him, getting in the wolf's face rather aggressively. "What's it to you?"

Smirking, the demon raised a clawed hand. "If you don't want to end up like the rest of the trash here, get out of my face, human."

Barou winced, realizing that Naota's temper had not been dimmed by time. The wolf's eyes went wide at the first furious kick to his chest; the second damned near knocked him off his feet.

The youkai recovered quickly, snarling with anger and launched an attack, aiming to tear the man's throat out. He didn't have to suffer the attacks of mere humans. In the past, he'd let his wolves feed on humans when they were hungry, it didn't make a damn bit of difference to him.

"You're gonna pay for that, runt," he snarled, itching to tear the human's head off.

Naota didn't answer, standing loosely and letting the wolf attack him again. When the blinding strikes came, he simply danced out the way, turning a neat flip over the wolf's head and kicking him in the back.

"I don't want to kill you, wolf," the human said softly. "I never kill anyone if I can avoid it, even a dirty youkai beast like you."

"Dirty what?" the wolf shouted, enraged more by the human's calm, cold words than his lightning fast kicks. He didn't often meet anyone faster than him, not even mutt-face was that quick. For a human, this guy was something else and he stood back a moment to evaluate the situation.

He didn't like it, his instincts were honed sharp by years of assessing threats and this time he wasn't sure what he was dealing with. A human that was faster than a demon, faster than him? Who held no scent of fear or intimidation? It didn't add up and he didn't like things that were mysterious or strange.

"Maybe another time," he spat at last. His prey wasn't here anyway; he didn't have time to play.

"No, you don't," Naota snapped, seeing the wolf getting ready to make a break for it. He read in the way the wolf demon's muscles tensed, that brief moment of distraction, the unusual confidence mixed with calculation in his eyes. Before the demon could make his move, Naota was on top of him, having delivering a vicious series of punches to the demon's face and landing with both knees hard on his chest.

"Who are you?" the human seeming man demanded.

"What are you?" the wolf hissed back from a mouthful of blood. His claws dug hard into the packed earth, tensing, ready to throw the attacker off if he could.

Naota wrapped both hands around the wolf's neck. "Don't even try it, demon."

Sighing, Barou decided it was up to him to call off Naota's aggressive attack. The wolf hadn't threatened them, wasn't responsible for the carnage, and Naota was letting his hatred of all things youkai rule his actions once again.

"Ta-kun," he said quietly. "Let the wolf go, you're being unreasonable."

"He knows something," Naota answered, baring his teeth like a demon. He didn't have fangs, never had, but the effect was the same. The wolf looked confused, staring up at the mild voiced inuyoukai with a bewildered stare. His nose told him that was an inuyoukai, but he wasn't acting like one. Then again, the human wasn't acting like a human either.

"What the hell is going on?" he snarled, pushing himself up on his elbows when the human let go of his neck.

The man got off him and the wolf struggled to his feet, looking ready to kill. The dog demon stared at him with sea gray eyes.

"Kouga," he said softly.

"Huh?" he answered, brushing himself off. He was glad that Ginta and Hakkaku hadn't seen a human pin him to the ground like a she-bitch; he would be mortally humiliated if word of this ever got out. He could just imagine the mutt-face's amusement over it. He shot a look up at the strange inuyoukai, standing so still and quiet he barely seemed alive.

Now that he thought about it, the other demon looked awfully familiar. Something about the cast of his face, an almost ethereal beauty. The hair was the wrong color and so were the eyes, but if Kouga had to say anything, he would have said the demon looked almost exactly like...

It was funny, he didn't remember sitting down. Kouga found himself propped up against a tree, his head throbbing in pain. It wasn't from a blow; he didn't think he'd been hit over the head with anything. But he had the distinct impression something had happened and it was a muzzy sensation, like he'd been walking through a thick mist.

The sharpest recollections he had were his memories of being taken down, his legs cut open. Something savage laughing in the background. It was as if someone had run their hands through his mind, taking each memory like a garment from a chest, shaking it out and refolding it neatly, placing it back where it belonged.

Dimly, he became aware of voices. A soft, soothing voice, speaking in low tones. "He doesn't know more than that, Naota. We should just let him go. As he said, he has personal reasons for hunting our quarry."

Kouga heard a snort. "Sounds like he was lucky to keep his life, my guess is he won't be so lucky the next time."

_Are they talking about me_, the stunned wolf demon wondered. He shook his head to clear it and tried to stagger to his feet. "What happened?" he demanded hoarsely. "What did you do to me?"

"Shhhh," one of the voices said soothingly. A rough hand on his shoulder shoved him back to the ground.

"Stay still, demon," the second voice ordered, harsh with contempt. "If you don't sit like a good boy, I'll have to crack your skull for you."

Kouga tried to growl threateningly, but it came out more like a muted whine. His entire body felt drained, he couldn't have moved if Naraku himself had shown up and tried to slit his throat. The weakness was incredible and when he tried to focus his eyes it made him so dizzy he wanted to retch.

"Is he going to be okay?" Naota asked as he gazed down at the wolf and sounded like he didn't give a damn either way.

Barou smiled. "He will be fine in a few hours, I may have probed a bit too aggressively, but I had to be sure he wasn't trying to conceal his true intentions.

Naota snorted and poked the demon with his foot. Kouga slumped to the side, glaring at him, or trying to through half-slitted eyes. "He doesn't look smart enough to hide anything."

"He's not," Barou answered coolly. The wolf growled softly at him and the inuyoukai knelt, taking the other demon's chin with his long, delicate fingers.

"Wolf," he said softly. "I advise you not to move. No harm has been done to you, I swear. In a few hours your energy will return. Until then, Naota is going to watch over you since you can't defend yourself."

"I'm what?" Naota demanded angrily. He planted his hands on his hips and glared at Barou. "And just where the hell are you going to be? I'm not babysitting any damn wolf youkai!"

"I am going to report to your cousin," Barou said smoothly. "The sooner I do, the sooner Sesshomaru-sama can devise a way to stop this beast from taking any more lives, human or demon."

"I wish you luck," Naota said in a sarcastic tone. "You take him with you then."

"I will travel swifter alone."

"I don't give a damn, he's not my problem!"

Kouga wished they'd both shut the hell up or just leave him. His head was throbbing mercilessly now. Ginta and Hakkaku couldn't be far behind, they would see to him if he were still helpless when they arrived.

Barou fixed Naota with an icy look. "Very well," the clanlord said. "If that is truly your wish, you may go to the fortress instead of me and make my report."

Naota's face flushed an angry red. "The hell I will," he snarled, turning away. "I swore I'd never return and I mean to keep that vow."

Annoyed, Barou wrapped his cloak around him and walked away. "So be it," he said softly. "Your bitterness is that of a child, Naota. For once you should be able to see beyond your quarrels and your guilt. Leave the wolf here it you wish, leave him to his death if that is what the fates decree. I must go."

Naota scowled after him, more perturbed by Barou's parting words than he wanted to admit. _Guilt_, he thought in disgust. _I have nothing to feel guilty about, by the gods. I can't help what happened and it didn't make any difference_. He turned to look at the half conscious wolf.

"Looks like I'm stuck with you, ya fuzzy bastard. Just my luck."

oOo

It had been an interesting evening, Kagome thought, turning over again as she tried to sleep. Even if Inuyasha didn't like it, she was glad that Jano had joined them. Something had to be done to cut the tension in the air and she was happy to have any excuse to stop being pensive and depressed.

Their simple evening meal had been punctuated by Jano's lively comments; the inuyoukai seemed to have a vast supply of funny stories and off color jokes. She and Miroku had laughed helplessly at his wild tales, Shippou giggling so hard that he finally almost choked himself to death when he snorted rice out his nose. Even Sango had smiled more than once.

Only Inuyasha seemed determined to hang on to his grumpy, sullen moodiness, sitting high in a tree and pretending that they didn't exist.

_What is his problem_, she wondered for probably the hundredth time that day. She honestly didn't know what to think about anything anymore and that was good because if she did think about it too much, she was going to start crying. And she thought she'd done just about enough of that.

Still, she pondered, twisting again in her sleeping bag, if he was that mad, why wouldn't he talk to her about it? He said he loved her, didn't he? He meant it, right? Kagome went hot and cold as she replayed the memory again in her mind.

How warm and gentle his hands had been, the taste of his lips, his tongue probing deep in her mouth… She shivered and twitched, a delicious feeling pooling between her legs as she tried to recall the way he'd held her against that wall, the hard thrust of his hips against hers and the way her whole body had yearned back at him.

_Was I not good enough_, she wondered suddenly, her eyes opening to peer into the dark night sky. Was he disappointed? She knew that she hadn't known what to do, how to pleasure him. Maybe he was regretting not being with someone more skilled, like the demon woman who'd wanted him.

That thought hurt, and Kagome curled her body around the tight little pain that had formed like a hard ball in her stomach. She'd been a little hesitant the next morning; she'd been scared to let him touch her. Maybe he'd sensed her uneasiness and it had made him wonder about her. Maybe he was regretting it; maybe he wished that she were someone else. Maybe Kikyou.

_Stop that_, she told herself and deliberately straightened her body. She composed her limbs to lie straight, forcing the muscles to relax instead of quiver with tension. _You're beating yourself up over probably nothing; you're just looking for things to be wrong. It's Inuyasha, if he wasn't being moody and cranky you wouldn't know who he was. He probably hasn't even thought about it like that, he does probably just not want to show anyone how he feels_.

That sounded better, a hell of a lot better than blaming herself. Only...she'd wanted him to be a little different afterwards. She wanted some of that tenderness she'd glimpsed, she wanted that feeling beyond just sex. She wanted him to hold her, tease her, and kiss her neck. Act like a lover, damn it, not a pissy hanyou with a personality disorder.

She wasn't going to get any sleep like this, Kagome thought, turning over and burying her face in her pillow. Even Shippou didn't want to stay with her; she'd been that restless. She sighed and then inhaled deeply, catching that last whiff of laundry detergent in her bedding and feeling just a little more homesick than usual.

She'd thought sex would make everything different; she'd wake up the next morning a whole new person, a woman. A woman with a lover who would do anything for her. She was so stupid sometimes.

oOo

Makiko sat down hard, staring at her sister in shock. "You're sure?" she blurted out.

Aiko was beaming at her, absolutely beaming at her. "I'm sure," the young woman said cheerfully. "I visited with the healer this morning, she confirmed it for me."

"You're pregnant?" Makiko said, still trying to absorb the information, the implications of her sister's condition. "You're absolutely sure the child is from your union with the human?"

Her sister's eyes twinkled merrily; Makiko wondered why she looked so pleased. "I'm absolutely certain," Aiko said in amusement. She'd enjoyed shocking her normally implacable sister. "I haven't been with another man for at least two months before that and the healer said she sensed something other than just the baby's youki, she sensed human blood."

Sighing, Makiko leaned back and looked at the ceiling. She wondered what the houshi-sama would think when he found out he was about to become a father. Some males had no interest in their offspring. Hopefully he was agreeable to the idea.

oOo

She sensed someone hovering over her and woke from what was already a

fitful sleep. Kagome opened one eye carefully, wondering what in the world was going on. A hand blocked the night sky from her view, a hand that was reaching tentatively for her hair. She opened her eyes all the way and just looked at him, meeting that bright golden gaze that always seemed to glow, to shimmer even in the darkest hours.

Slowly he pulled back his hand, hair untouched and let it rest on his knee. She followed the motion like it fascinated her and a small, perturbed line appeared between her brows. His expression was remote, unreadable, and she couldn't guess what was on his mind. "Inuyasha?" she whispered.

Her soft question seemed to shake him out of whatever thoughtful trance he was in, his gaze hardened once more, the tension returned to his arms. Kagome looked at him, asking him with her eyes to say something, anything, to break the awkwardness. Even something stupid like _I-thought-you-were-asleep-Kagome_, or even _do-you-want-to-talk about-it-Kagome_ would have been welcome.

Instead he pulled away, gathering the red firerat sleeves around him like a protective shell, stood and walked off without so much as a bloody word of apology for waking her. She frowned as she watched the brightness of his hair disappear into the dark forest and wormed herself out of her sleeping bag as quietly as she could. She didn't want to wake the others. Sango needed her sleep, both because of the baby and her healing wounds. Miroku had likewise looked utterly exhausted when they'd all settled down for sleep.

As for Jano, she wasn't really sure. The tall inuyoukai had settled his back against a tree; his sword leaned easily against his chest as his head fell forward in sleep. Exactly the way Inuyasha slept when he didn't choose a tree branch instead of the cold forest floor. Vaguely, she wondered if all dog demons did that, slept sitting up when outside. Or just ones who were feeling protective and wanted to be on their guard.

She freed her legs from the warm bedding, the cool night breeze whispered over her bare feet. Kagome didn't want to think about it too much, but she knew she'd die a death of old age before Inuyasha spoke of anything like feelings in front of the others. He had been reaching for her, wanting to touch her hair like it was something he just couldn't hold himself back from anymore.

His expression hadn't been angry or upset, just a little wistful and oh, so sad it wanted to tear her heart out. Something was troubling him; she'd known it since they'd left the fortress. At first, she'd thought he was just pissed at Sesshomaru for being so callous to Sango, or maybe he was pissed at Sango for being pregnant with his brother's child.

Eventually, she came to realize that whatever was making him so touchy; it had to be something to do with her. That he wouldn't tell her when she asked made her certain, but Kagome wasn't afraid of Inuyasha, not even when he was being a jerk, not when he was furious with her. She'd been more scared for him that she'd ever been of him, as jealous of his safety as he was of hers.

Either way, it was time to make him talk to her. Kagome prided herself that he really did trust her more than anyone else and if she pushed and prodded in the right way, she'd usually get answers no matter how snotty he wanted to be. Silently, she got to her feet and followed him into the woods, leaving behind the faintly glowing coals of their fire and the light breathing of her companions.

Jano wasn't asleep, he had only been pretending in the first place, faking rest to watch over his charge. He had seen the hanyou tentatively approach the priestess, kneel down like it was something he wanted to be strong enough to resist and reach to touch her. Then the girl had awoken and spoke, the hanyou pulled away like he had no business being there in the first place. He watched Inuyasha walk away, smelled the girl's frustration and resolution before she got up to go after him.

"Good girl," he murmured.

"About damn time," the monk near him muttered sleepily.

Jano's mouth quirked in a half smile, closing his eyes once again. Peace settled over their small campsite and the bodyguard resumed his light not-sleeping doze and hoped that the two young ones so in an uneasy state of love would keep it quiet when they finally resolved their quarrel. He smirked to himself, thinking of Makiko and their arguments. He hoped to have many more such exchanges with the feisty female, if only for the pleasure of making it up to her later.

oOo

Kagome's nervousness was threatening to overwhelm her when she finally caught up with him. He must have heard her following and decided to wait and not make it more difficult. He could hide from her, avoid her easily if he chose, but she'd hoped he wouldn't. It was difficult to find enough privacy to have a real conversation; she didn't want to waste this opportunity.

She shivered slightly as the cool night air wandered lovingly in her hair, teasing the dark strands away from her face. The waning moon threw shadows and slices of brightness among the trees, illuminating his hair almost too brightly as he stood waiting, his head down and his arms slack at his sides. Now that she was standing there, facing him, she wasn't sure what to say. Kagome swallowed and said the first thing that came into her head.

"Hi."

No answer. She tried again. "I guess you couldn't sleep either," she said, hoping her voice didn't really sound that uncertain and awkward as she thought it did. He tilted his head at her, his eyes shining faintly from the shadows cast over his face. His silence was making her mad and finally she planted her fists on her hips and glared at him in exasperation.

"Damn it, Inuyasha! Why won't you talk to me?"

"What do you want me to say?" he asked, sounding still sullen and withdrawn.

His perpetual moodiness was really getting old she decided, throwing back her hair and striding right over to him. "How about if you tell me why you're mad at me? You've barely said three words to me since we left Sesshomaru's fortress. You won't look at me and you pull away every time I as much as reach in your direction."

He snorted, looking up at the sky. "You can't figure it out? Gods, you're stupid sometimes, Kagome."

"I'm stupid?" she shot back angrily. "What am I so damn stupid about? After...after that night, I thought you'd be different."

"And I thought you'd be different too," he said, sounding angry himself. Inuyasha held her gaze a moment before dropping it. "It was still the same old bullshit, you still let that jerk think you liked him."

"Kouga?" she asked incredulously. "You're mad about Kouga? Come on, Inuyasha, I don't believe that. I know you two can't get along but is that any reason to take it out on me? It's not like I ask him to grab my hands every time he sees me."

"You don't do a damn thing to prevent it," he said bitterly.

She stared at him, her mouth slightly open and finally shook her head to clear away the disbelief. What did he want her to do? Scream and yank away from the wolf demon like he was Naraku? Kouga wasn't a threat, he was a little dense and pretty persistent in his pursuit of her attention, but he was really just harmless. Just a big oaf that didn't really get how she wasn't excited as all hell that he loved her and wanted her to be 'his woman' as he so quaintly put it.

Inuyasha was just jealous, always had been. Kagome had rather found that endearing, for a long time it was one of the few signs he'd ever given her that she was more than just his jewel shard detector, signs that he might think of her as someone special even if she wasn't Kikyou.

"I can't believe you're that upset over him," she said at last. She inched closer, reaching quietly for his arm. She wanted to touch him, soothe him if she could. "I told you how I feel, you know I don't love him. It's you I love, Inuyasha."

He flinched when she said that, flinched and looked away. Her eyes got wide as she slowly retracted her hand. "What is it?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "If you meant that, you would have defended me."

_Defend him_, she thought in bewilderment. Since when did he need anyone to defend him? He was strength itself when he was in a fight, if she hadn't been there to put a stop to it, she was sure that Kouga would have been in little wolf pieces a long time ago. He was strong, he should be confident, he was absolutely fearless when it came to hunting for shards or trying to stop Naraku. Since when did Inuyasha need a human girl to defend him from anything?

"I'm not sure what you mean," she said slowly.

"And people say I'm dense," he retorted nastily.

"Then explain it to me!" she shouted. "Tell me why you're mad at me, tell me how I failed. Just don't leave me out here alone and thinking that I've ruined any chance for us. At least tell me what I did so I can say I'm sorry!"

He scowled at her, folding his arms and glaring that pissed off glare at her. "You didn't defend me," he said, biting off the words like chunks of ice. "That bastard accused me of forcing myself on you and you didn't say a word to deny it. You just stood there and let him think that I made you do something against your will. If that's your idea of love, you can just keep it. I ain't gonna stand around and watch you let him put his hands on you again."

Kagome just stared at him in disbelief. That was the reason? That was why he was so worked up, why he wouldn't look at her? It was ridiculous, it was insane, it was pure emotional jealousy and she would have laughed at the absurdity of it if she hadn't seen the tight, bitter expression on his face.

"Inuyasha," she said, feeling helpless. "Kouga's an idiot, of course he'd think something dumb like that. We know it's not the truth."

He took a deep breath, looking like his heart was about to burst in his chest. "All my life," he muttered, reaching up one sharp-clawed hand to shove his heavy hair away from his face. "All my life, I've always been the first one to be blamed. Even when I was just a little runt and couldn't defend myself. If it was broken, I broke it. If it was missing, I stole it. I hate feeling that way; I hate feeling like a worthless dog that's been kicked out of way. I know it wasn't true what he said, what happened was...beautiful to me. That you'd let Kouga keep thinking that I forced it on you makes me feel like dirt."

Her eyes were stinging with tears, her breath caught painfully in her chest. The air itself was too heavy, too potent and Kagome's head swam from it. Suddenly she had a blinding flash of intuition and she saw it all from his perspective.

Inuyasha risked himself over and over to defend her, protect her and still she didn't turn Kouga's attentions away. She kept insisting he was a friend when to Inuyasha; he could never be anything less than a rival. Over and over, she'd sat the living daylights out of him, in front of Kouga, in front of everyone, treating him just like he was worthless to her. She'd removed the rosary before they'd made love, a symbol of her trust of him, her utter and complete devotion.

And what happened next? She failed to let him assert his claim on her, she failed to back him up when he should have been able to look everyone in the eyes with his head up and proud. No wonder he'd been in such a terrible mood. Even the woman he loved didn't take his side against a rival for her affections. That had to hurt, that had to feel like hell, and it had to feel awful. It had to feel like betrayal.

"Oh Inuyasha," she said, hoping he could hear the contrite regret in her voice. She was just a girl; she was new to love herself. How could she say the right thing to heal him, made him understand that she'd never meant for him to feel like that?

_I should have slapped Kouga's face for saying that, I should have shouted at him that I loved Inuyasha and I gave him my heart and everything else freely because I wanted him so badly I couldn't stand it. That I threw myself at him and begged him to take me, not the other way around. He'd never have to force me to love him when I burned for his touch and his kiss for years on end_.

"I don't know why I thought it would be different," he said, his voice so quiet and tentative. "When I was a little kid, my mother was the only person who would touch me willingly without wanting to hurt me. After she died, there was no one. I wasn't supposed to have friends, I wasn't supposed to have feelings either."

He took a deep breath. "I stopped letting myself feel it because I got tired of hurting. The older I got, the more obvious it was that they didn't want me around. My own brother didn't want me; my mother's family wished I'd died before I was even born. Even when other kids, particularly girls, didn't seem to shy away from me, their parents made sure I knew what I was."

_Get away from my daughter, you dirty half-breed!_ She could hear the words as clearly as if she had access to his memories. Kagome's eyes welled with tears and they started to slide down her face. And she thought he was insensitive and crude, he had to be to cover all that up and bury it deep enough so that it didn't eat him alive.

She could almost hear Sesshomaru's sneering voice. _You're worthless and weak; you'll never be anything else but a hanyou_. What would it feel like, she wondered, to always be the outsider? She wouldn't know, she'd always been loved and adored by her family, wrapped up in their close acceptance. She couldn't doubt her place in her world, why hadn't she seen he'd never had any place at all?

Kagome moved closer, reaching up with both hands to cup his face. He let her touch him, finally meeting her eyes and she wanted to wash away the hurt misery that lived there. "I am so sorry," she whispered, her palms cupping his cheeks. "Please believe me, I never knew that you'd feel that way. I should have made sure Kouga understood that I belong to you. Only to you."

His hands came up and wrapped around her wrists, but he didn't pull her away. "I want to believe you," he said in a soft, vulnerable tone she'd never heard him use before. "I want to, but I don't really know how."

Her fingers stroked his face, brushing over his eyelids and her thumbs traced his lips. "You are not that scapegoated and abandoned child any longer, Inuyasha." His hands crushed her wrists like he was trying to deny how much he needed to hear that. "You are not dirty or worthless or weak. You're the strongest person I know, you'd have to be to have ever survived."

His arms were shaking, she could hear him breathing harder and trembling, his eyes closed against whatever he was feeling. She pressed her body into his, letting his warmth melt into her, her hands sliding back to twist in his hair. "You are deserving of love. I'll give you everything I have if you'll just believe that. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere for as long as you want me by your side."

"Kagome," he said in a husky voice full of need. His hands had moved to her shoulders and now they slowly descended down her back to rest lightly on her hips. He licked his lips; she was lost in their soft fullness and tilted her head back. Almost shyly, he moved to kiss her, drawing her lower lip between his teeth and touching the tip of his tongue to hers like a promise.

Then there was nothing gentle about his embrace, nothing tentative or wistful in his mouth when he crushed her against him and plundered her parted lips, ravishing her mouth desperately in his urgent need. Kagome opened herself to him; willing him to taste her, drink in the sincerity and depth of what she said, affirm her words with her body and hands as they twisted in his hair.

One of his hands came up to the back of her head, holding her possessively in their kiss. His other arm pulled her tightly against him, almost lifting her off her feet as his forearm crushed against her spine. She hooked her leg around his so he'd have no doubt of her want for him.

Inuyasha broke their kiss with a snarl and suddenly gathered her up in his arms, his hands flexing compulsively on her thighs as he carried her deeper into the forest, afraid their seclusion might be broken if one of their companions came in search of them. Kagome hung limp against him, submissively, one arm wrapped around his neck and the other fisted in the in the front of his haori. He found a small, grassy clearing where the moon shone down on them and dropped to his knees, her still clasped tight against his chest.

"Kagome," he mumbled as she urgently twisted in his embrace, kissing his neck, his upper chest, whatever she could reach. She settled on her knees, her hands pulling at him eagerly. He was hard as stone against the soft flesh of her belly and she rocked against him so he'd know that she wanted this every bit as badly.

"Now," she murmured, throwing back her head as he whimpered into her neck. His fangs grazed her throat and his hands slid up under her skirt and she jumped a bit when she felt the sharpness of his claws slice away her undergarments and reach down to part her thighs.

He pushed her onto her back, kissing her hard as he rested his weight on her slight form, too needy and desperate to even undress her all the way or do more than shove his own clothing down from his hips. She hugged him tight, urging him to not wait any longer. She was ready; there would be other nights for foreplay and experimentation. Now she needed him, needed to answer that gaping hole in his heart that told him he didn't deserve her love. She told him what she could with words, now she just wanted to show him with her body how she really felt and reached down, digging her fingernails into his lower back.

"Now," she said again, demanding.

Inuyasha growled in the back of his throat and suddenly shoved hard into her. Kagome bit back a cry, her thighs trembling a bit as she accepted him. Her first time had not been long ago, she might have expected a bit of discomfort, but at the same time nothing had ever felt so right. He looked down at her, sensing perhaps her slight pain and she quickly pulled him down to her for a long, slow kiss.

"Don't stop," she whispered into his mouth as he trembled inside her. "Don't stop now."

He pressed into her, moving hard and fast, grinding her hips almost painfully into the ground. All the tension, all the distrust and hurt feelings, all the bitterness and mutual doubts evaporated as Inuyasha took her almost violently, desperate in his need for her, his desire. Kagome matched him, making small pleasured sounds as he breathed hot and harsh in her ear. She felt half blinded, caught up in wave after wave of demon instinct flowing over her skin and lighting her with a passionate lust of her own.

His voice was ragged and rough. "Hold onto me," he growled, his hands sliding under her shoulders. She lifted her hips, wrapped her legs around him and held on for dear life as he pounded against her, his hands tightening convulsively on her as he braced her body against his frantic rhythm.

"Oh god," she cried out, clenching him with her thighs as he burned her from the inside out, made the world go white and hot and blinding. She tasted copper in her mouth and realized she'd bitten her own lip hard enough to draw blood.

He gasped suddenly and threw himself into her with a searing thrust, shuddering hard and his entire body convulsed against hers. She stroked his hair, his back, and his arms and around to his face until his muscles relaxed, settling against her as the firestorm raged and died out.

Kagome was shaking, it was so strange to be so free, so wanton as to give herself to him so absolutely but she didn't regret a single second. Slowly, her eyes focused on the trees around them, seeing the sky start to lighten. She listened to his breathing and sighed deeply in contentment.

Kagome brushed Inuyasha's hair back from his neck, pressing her lips against his ear. "I love you," she whispered thickly. He mumbled against her, acknowledging her and she smiled and looked up again, searching for the observer again as if to say, do you like what you see? Her smile died on her lips as the person let herself be seen and she stared back in shock and surprise.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, tugging at his hair.

He raised his head and looked into her eyes, her breath caught at the tender wonder filling that soft golden gaze. "Kagome, I love you," he said, brushing her cheek with his lips. "I'll never mistrust you again, I swear I'd do anything for you, anything to make you happy. I'll never let anyone take you away from me and I'll never be dumb enough to let you go."

She wanted to cry. It was so much that she couldn't stand it and her arms ached from holding him so tightly. His head rested against her shoulder and Kagome's eyelids squeezed shut with sudden emotion.

"I'm going to make sure you keep that promise," she said, pressing her cheek against his hair. "And I'll keep mine, forever."


	33. ThirtyThree

_**Chapter ThirtyThree**_

He kept touching her, running his fingers over her hair, caressing her arm. Every now and then he'd lean close, inhale deeply and sigh with contentment.

Almost as if he couldn't help himself, like the love he felt for her was so big it spilled out of him in waves, pooling around his feet and expanding with every beat of his heart. It made her warm and tingly, she wanted to giggle and shout and several times during the day, their eyes met and they both started laughing for no reason at all.

The tension between them was gone and their companions breathed easier. She caught a glimpse of Jano's smirk and blushed, she saw Miroku's appreciative glance and blushed again. Sango only smiled and shook her head, sitting bandaged and looking tired. She sat by her friend when Inuyasha took Shippou with him to go find them something fresh to eat.

"You look like you're very happy, Kagome."

She grinned, blushing and looking down. "I guess you could say we sorted it out."

Jano stretched and yawned, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "I'll say you did. Next time you two are feeling sweet, make sure you take it a little farther away from the rest of us. Inuyoukai have excellent hearing."

"So do certain humans," Miroku grumbled.

Kagome grinned unabashedly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb anyone."

Jano raised an eyebrow. "You didn't. And don't ever apologize for enjoying yourself, Kagome. Nothing sounds quite as sweet as the sound of a woman's voice lifted in pleasure."

Sango chuckled and met Miroku's smile. "That one is more perverted than you, houshi-sama."

The monk laughed out loud at her observation. "Must be an inuyoukai trait, perhaps I have some demon blood in my ancestry."

"In spirit at least," Jano offered generously.

"However," Miroku said seriously, "I have been thinking on the subject..."

"Big surprise," Sango murmured to Kagome.

He grinned at her comment. "I don't mean to pry, Kagome, but considering Sango's current condition, have you and Inuyasha thought about what to do if you also find yourself with child?"

Her face flushed and Kagome looked away. Miroku sounded like an older brother, a rather nosy older brother but she understood it was only concern that made him bring up such a private subject. She could also sense Jano and Sango's interest in her answer. "I'm...not worried about that."

Sango blinked at her. Under the circumstances, she damn well should be worried. Sango knew that she herself had been, well not careless, but certainly moved by the passion of the moment. And then the son of a bitch implied that it was deliberate, not a natural occurrence made by the deliberations of a random fate, but his choice. His choice, his choosing, like her own body didn't belong to her in the sense that maybe she should have been consulted.

He'd looked shocked at the idea that she had any say in the matter. Sango scowled briefly at that, nothing else convinced her so much as that simple attitude that Sesshomaru truly had seen her as nothing more than his latest acquisition, a demon slayer. One who would bear his child without question and put aside everything to please him.

And you would have been happy to do it, said the tiny voice in the back of her mind. Except that she had sworn to put an end to Naraku's evil and avenge her family. After that, she would have been deliriously happy if he'd asked her to have his baby. She would have been over the moon; she would have walked on water and blessed the fates that made him ask her for that.

It had never been a question of if she wanted this child, she desperately did and her hand wandered to her belly without thinking. Children were so important, especially to one who had lost all other connection to her family, to her home. She wanted to have this baby more than anything to complete that empty longing, to give Kohaku someone besides just herself as family. A baby would mean the healing of everything Naraku had wounded in her life.

She didn't know that Kagome felt that way; she understood her friend had another life, a strange and different life. From what Inuyasha had implied, Kagome's homeland left a lot to be desired. Smelly and loud, so dirty even the air tasted wrong. It wasn't for Sango to choose what Kagome thought of as home, but she did think that the girl might be taking the possibility of pregnancy a little too lightly.

"Kagome," she said at last, looking seriously at the girl. "How will your family feel if you do become pregnant with Inuyasha's child? Will they accept a child of demon blood?"

"That's not a problem," the girl said uneasily. "Mama and Souta wouldn't object to it. I know there's a chance of it happening, nothing is absolutely certain, but the chances are hopefully pretty slim that I'd have a baby."

"Are you infertile?" Jano asked, looking concerned. He sniffed the air delicately, searching for any hint of illness or wrongness in the girl's body. She certainly smelled like a healthy, fertile female.

Kagome saw him tasting the air and slapped at his hand. "Don't do that!"

"Do what?" he asked, curious about the embarrassed expression.

She scowled prettily. "You're sniffing for whether or not my body can have babies. I'm sure that's rude even by dog demon standards."

It wasn't, but the human girl's sense of privacy was obviously suffering from his natural curiosity. "I apologize," Jano grinned. "But I wished to know why you aren't concerned about conceiving a child. You seem healthy and physically able to do so, why do you think it unlikely?"

It looked like she was going to have to go there. "I'm on the pill," Kagome said quietly.

"The pill?" Sango and Miroku echoed in confusion. Jano scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Is that some kind of spell?"

"No," she said, blushing fiercely. "It's called birth control. Every day I take a pill and it tells my body I don't want it to have a baby." She'd actually been taking the prescription for more than six months, but she wasn't about to admit that. At the time she'd convinced herself that it was just in case, she hadn't been able to deny her strongly growing feelings for him although she wasn't sure Inuyasha felt the same. She'd guessed, she'd hoped, and asked her mother for a visit to the doctor with a trace of bashful modesty, but a veiled hope just the same.

She saw confusion in the faces of her friends and sighed. "Where I'm from, women sometimes put off starting their families until they're older. Like if they want to finish school or start their career before having babies."

"And their husbands agree to this?" Miroku asked, looking utterly fascinated by the concept. "You simply stop taking this pill and then you will able to have a child when you wish it?"

"Yes," Kagome said, wishing they'd just drop the subject. "And it's also for women who aren't married and don't want to have a baby by a man they might not stay with to raise the child."

Miroku closed his eyes blissfully. "So they can have as much sex as they please and not worry about possibly having a child. Such an enlightened age."

"It must truly be a wonderful place," Jano said fondly.

Sango gave a snort of disgust. "I swear you two were separated at birth."

Kirara yawned and sat up to absently scratch at her ear. Sango's eyes were drawn to the petite feline, smiling as Kirara's body twisted impossibly, stretching to groom one of her tails. Her fingers moved of their own accord, scratching behind the kitten's ear and getting a blissful response. She felt like she could almost hear what Kirara was thinking, warm waves of understanding issued from the tiny body and she grinned.

She automatically wanted to stretch out the other arm to capture the other tiny ear, but the bandages still constricted her movement. It was annoying, but it didn't hurt. Sango sat up, feeling for her other wounds. They didn't hurt either.

"Kagome," she called, "will you help me take these off?"

Kagome frowned. "We should probably change the dressings; some of those scratches looked deep. You can't let them get infected."

The young women sat down and Kagome gingerly moved Sango's patched yukata off her shoulder. Her hands gentle, Kagome peeled back the first bandage and let out a gasp.

Sango twisted her head to try to look down her back. "What, is it bad?" she asked tensely. She really didn't need another scar and hoped the damage would heal decently. Kagome's medicines worked miracles on wounds.

"It's gone," she exclaimed, meeting Sango's startled gaze. "The scratches are completely gone." The others came over to watch as Kagome unbound Sango's broken arm. "Flex your fingers," the younger girl ordered.

Sango flexed. Her fingers tingled a bit, but there was no pain, no discomfort at all. "I don't believe it."

Inuyasha darted a glance at Jano. "I've heard of this happening with hanyou pregnancies."

The bodyguard shrugged. "I've seen it happen before. If the baby is going have strong youki, the human mother will take on some demonic traits."

The half-demon frankly looked suspicious. "When did you see it happen before, I can't see my brother putting up with a bunch of half breed brats running around his fortress. Who do you know that had an inuhanyou baby?"

Jano glared at him. "Your mother, stupid."

Inuyasha looked shocked. "You...you met my mother?" he asked in a hushed tone. It had never occured to him, not for a minute that Jano might have had a connection to him like that. The inuyoukai had implied that he was the same age as Sesshomaru, he guessed it was possible.

Grinning, Jano nodded. "A lovely person," he said mildly. "I only saw her briefly, understand, and she certainly didn't share particulars of her pregnancy with me. But yes, I met the lady."

Kagome wondered if Jano knew about the time Sesshomaru had deceived Inuyasha, made him think that he had resurrected Izayoi from the dead for the purpose of tormenting her until her son revealed Inutaisho's grave. She set her jaw, deliberately not looking at the bodyguard and decided that yes, he had to know about that. After all, Sesshomaru had returned from the encounter missing an arm, she didn't think that his so trusted bodyguard would have been left ignorant of why.

"If you only met her once, how did you know about hanyou pregnancies?" Inuyasha persisted. He couldn't help it, he was curious. These were details he'd never get out of his closed mouth prick of a brother and he'd damn himself right alongside Sesshomaru before he went begging information from the cold-hearted son of a bitch.

Jano just rolled his eyes at the question. "Because," he said in a cool tone, "your father let everyone in the entire fortress know about it. With the amount of difficulty the poor woman had to endure, he predicted that you'd be the biggest brat ever born. I'm glad to say that you didn't disappoint him."

He turned to Sango and smiled, dismissing Inuyasha's sullen glare. "Healing faster is common, over the next few weeks you will notice that many of your senses will seem to sharpen. You should see better, hear better, smell things you've never noticed before."

Sango looked a little queasy. If the way she could smell things now was any indication, she honestly didn't know how dog demons could stand it. "Is this permanent?" she asked, feeling green. She wasn't thrilled by the idea of being able to scent every single bodily function of the people around her.

He looked sympathetic. "Not at all, from what I understand your body will return to its normal state after the child is born. It's the baby's youki that is doing this to you as it is driven to protect itself. Making you stronger and faster, sharper and able to heal quickly accomplishes this goal."

Kagome found that she was fascinated in spite of herself. "Is the baby aware of what's happening?"

Jano frowned slightly, studying the sky. "I am no midwife," he said at last. "Or a healer. It happens sometimes that inuyoukai mothers can communicate with their unborn children later in the pregnancy. On a very instinctive level at least, Sango should be aware of her child's presence, but how much a human can interpret of this bond, I have no idea."

"Thank you anyway," Sango said, looking a little shy. "I was wondering what was happening to me. I'm grateful to have an explanation."

Jano nodded, and then frowned again, looking like he'd just recalled something. He rummaged around a bit in the small pack he carried under his ebony furred cloak, retrieving something with a satisfied grunt.

"Here," Jano said, holding out a bundle to Sango. She looked frankly suspicious. "From Makiko," he said, his voice oddly burred with some suppressed emotion.

The young woman accepted the package and opened it. She looked up, surprised. "Clothes?"

Jano nodded. It hadn't been his idea, it had been hers. Makiko told him that Sango hadn't taken any clothing other than her exterminator's uniform. The beautiful kimonos she'd been gifted with had been left in her room. Her uniform was falling apart now, sliced by a bear-oni's claws.

Sango was deathly afraid that Kagome might just suggest she borrow some of her strange clothes. She didn't think she could fight in a skirt that short, it wasn't decent. But what Jano handed her was different. She could feel the quality of the materials, heavy, rich. The kosode had a high collar; the sleeves were long but not too wide. The dog demon politely turned his head when Sango slipped into the trees to try it on. It was comfortable, the thick material swished around her ankles, making her wiggle her toes in enjoyment.

"It's beautiful," she said. "Please thank Makiko for me."

He grinned, pulling another package from under his cloak. "This I'm sure you will like."

Sango unfolded it and took a deep breath. Armor, she'd lost her own, it had been torn apart by the bear. This was black leather armor and she held it up, measuring a piece against her forearm. A perfect fit. Then she realized that it was identical to Jano's, right down to the same sigils and marks. She looked at him curiously; the inuyoukai turned a deep shade of red.

"It belonged to a friend of mine," he said quietly. "I know she'd like you to have it."

The exterminator frowned for a minute, trying to recall the name. "Namichi," she murmured.

The bodyguard nodded easily. "She was very loyal, there's nothing she wouldn't have done for Sesshomaru. Although she had a mouth on her that nothing could shut and she'd probably roast his ears for what he's done to you."

Jano grinned suddenly. "And I'd like to see that myself, but she's not around or she'd want to offer her protection to your baby. If you'll use her armor, it would honor her very much."

"It would honor me," Sango said softly. She was touched; she didn't know why it was affecting her so much. She wasn't embarrassed to cry in front of her friends, gods already knew she'd done enough of it the past week.

Somehow this gesture, coming not from Sesshomaru who owed it to her, but from Makiko and Jano, inuyoukai themselves and intensely loyal to their lord, held a deep significance. She understood that bond and realized that it was something that most humans would never experience. Sango, demon exterminator and pregnant with a daiyoukai's child, suddenly knew what it was like to be youkai.

Strange emotions were raging in her heart, she felt fierce, and she felt frightened. She wanted to scream but at the same time she felt deadly calm. It was hard to deal with; surges of hormones underlined every emotion, made it stand out in bold black and white, intense as rock salt in a raw wound. She knew one thing, she wanted to be alone with it for a few minutes, get some understanding.

"Excuse me," she said, gathering her new armor like it was precious to her and heading for the woods.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the small clearing that no one wanted to break. Inuyasha sat down next to Kagome and put his arm around her shoulders, smiling as the girl leaned trustingly into him. Her small fingers wound around his and he nuzzled the top of her head with his chin.

Miroku chuckled as he watched them, amused to see the usually volatile couple at long last enjoying each other's company. It made him happy and wistful at the same time. He missed the flirting and fighting he used to do with Sango. Everything was so serious and even Miroku had enough sense to know that a friendly squeeze on the pregnant woman's backside might cost him his life as well as any hopes he had of fathering children.

He leaned back, relaxing but still feeling a bit bored. It was still early in the day; they'd already agreed to rest here while Sango recovered from her wounds. Of course, none of them had expected her wounds to heal quite that quickly.

Miroku didn't mind, he himself thought he could use a bit of a break after the heart stopping actions from yesterday. He'd never forget the cold horror that had washed over him when he'd seen Sango lying helpless under a bear-oni's claws. It sickened him and made him curse with anger that he hadn't been there to help, prevent her from getting injured in the first place. So she didn't belong to him, so what? Miroku couldn't just cut off his emotions. He wasn't a youkai like Sesshomaru; he could not just stop loving someone.

The thought made him angry again. Where was that cold-hearted bastard when the woman who loved him and bore his damn child in her womb was getting sliced to bits by sharp claws? Where was he when Sango had cried out for him, seeking him even in her wounded state? A tight fury gripped his heart, his hands tightening almost convulsively. He didn't deserve her.

Jano cocked an eyebrow at the monk, sensing the man's turmoil and guessing at its cause. Not his business to interfere or make a comment. The monk had to deal with his problems on his own. He watched as Miroku stiffly drew himself to his feet.

"If you don't mind," he said to no one in particular, "I think I'll take a walk."

"Yeah, whatever," Inuyasha muttered, oblivious to everything except the curve of Kagome's waist under his hands. Kagome didn't answer at all, leaning into the hanyou to rest her cheek against his chest, eyes closed in contentment as the two settled together like the rest of the world had completely ceased to exist.

Miroku let his feet take him where they wanted; right now he just wanted to stop thinking. It wasn't fair that Sango should love Sesshomaru, that she should waste that gift of affection and tenderness on a demon that couldn't appreciate it. He'd felt better when he'd convinced himself that it was just sex between the two, after that, he'd been happy for her.

Jealous maybe, but happy just the same. It wasn't one emotion or the other; it was a mixture of feelings, a blend of bitter and sweet. If his own feelings had simply been carnal, desiring Sango for her beauty or her delicious body, he wouldn't be so angry with the youkai lord. Damn it, she didn't deserve to be cast aside, left to learn about human-inuyoukai pregnancy from his damn bodyguard.

And why the hell would someone like Sesshomaru need a bodyguard anyway? It sure as hell didn't make any sense to Miroku.

But the worst, the absolute worst part about it was that he couldn't do a damn thing about it. He couldn't go find Sesshomaru and force him to act like a decent creature and take care of the woman he'd claimed as a mate. He couldn't persuade Sango to give up her love of the demon either, the last thing she needed to hear from him was that she was a fool for loving.

He'd never say that to anyone, not ever. Life could be harsh, life could be brutal. You needed to grab hold of what happiness you could find, grab with both hands and not let go. Life could be extremely short when you woke each day and went to sleep each night with a curse in your hand. Not for the first time, Miroku wondered what exactly had been going through Naraku's mind when he'd cursed his grandfather with a hellhole in his palm.

It would take his life, as it had taken his father's and grandfather's before him, but there was no denying that it was also a powerful asset. A weapon that made him equal or better to many of the demon forms they'd encountered. Why would Naraku curse anyone with such a destructive force?

He sighed, not liking the contemplation or the answers he might find. Because such a powerful weapon could not be forsworn, because each time he used it, in self-defense, in pursuit of the shards, he brought himself closer to death. Inch by painful inch, the feeling made his palms itch. It hurt sometimes, waking him in the night with the sense of impending doom.

But he'd become accustomed to it, having seen his father's violent demise, felt the burning air rip split the skin of his palm when he was hardly older than Shippou. If it hadn't been for Mushiin, he would have died long ago, sucked into his own despair.

The old monk had been a good teacher, at least when he wasn't drunk. Miroku didn't care much for the taste of alcohol, not after waking his master on more than one occasion after finding him passed out in his own sick. To this day he associated the rank smell of stale liquor and vomit as home, but he understood that sometimes a man drank for reasons that couldn't be helped.

One thing old Mushiin had managed to pass on to his young apprentice and that was life was for enjoying. It was foolish to waste the precious hours and seconds of their meager days in guilt or self-denial. This was a good philosophy for him as Miroku failed pathetically at denying himself anything. Why roll around in guilt and question your motives when there was pleasure to be had and pretty girls to pass the time?

He found himself thinking of that young demoness again, not the dark haired one, but the one with burnished auburn hair. Aiko had been her name, a lovely name for a lovely, lovely girl. Hell, he shouldn't call her a girl; she was probably older than he was, maybe by a few centuries for all he knew. Not that you could tell anything when you ran your hands over her firm body or tasted the delectable sweetness of her lips.

Miroku wondered if he'd see her again. He also wondered that if he did see her again if she could be persuaded to be just a little gentler with his poor human flesh. Apparently being involved with a dog demon required a certain amount of stamina and fortitude. Miroku was pleased that he'd displayed both to Aiko's satisfaction, as well as that of her pretty friend.

It was really a pity that Inuyasha and Kouga had managed to get them all kicked out of the fortress before he'd had time to really get to know the young demon woman or heal enough to enjoy her company again.

Two of them had been a little overwhelming, he'd had to be selfish about it and focus on his own survival. Miroku would have liked to have taken his time with each of the young ladies, but they'd been so damn aggressive, so demanding that it had left him more than a little unnerved. As often as he'd dreamed of it, he'd never been pursued and put to the test like that before.

A man had to know his limitations. Next time he'd make sure it was just the one, that beautiful Aiko. If he ever got the chance, which looked doubtful unless a certain youkai lord pulled his head out of his ass and stopped being such an impossible bastard.

And perhaps Naraku will just offer to remove that curse for nothing, he told himself sarcastically. And Inuyasha and Kouga will kiss each other on the mouth next time they meet and decide to share Kagome's affections. It was about as bloody likely as Sesshomaru thawing long enough to realize that he was throwing away something extraordinary by dismissing Sango like she'd been nothing more than his bed wench.

Speaking of Sango, he thought, staring at Hiraikotsu left leaning negligently against a tree. He hadn't realized she'd come this way, not being gifted with a dog demon's sense of smell. His ears detected the slight sound of running water, a stream? A hot spring perhaps? He wasn't sure but the pervert in him didn't want to let it rest. Miroku licked his dry lips and considered the appropriate moral response.

She could be bathing, in which case she'd murder him for walking in on her. On the other hand, she was emotional these days, distraught from the pressures that had to be tearing her up inside. Impending motherhood, a lover's rejection, who could blame the woman for needing a little time to herself to sort things out?

And what kind of friend would he be to just let her muddle through it, lonely and alone? Miroku raised his chin and silently prayed to Buddha for mercy. And that he might get a good look at her before she knocked his teeth loose. He moved quietly through the trees, heading for the sounds of water.

_I'm just checking on you, Sango_, he prepared in his mind. _I was concerned for you, I'm not really trying to peep, but if you wouldn't mind_...no, that would get him killed.

_I have come to offer an ear for your troubles, Sango. I want you to know that I'm always here to listen, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, or if I can offer comfort to you in any way possible, I would be more than happy to_... He stopped himself, shaking his head. "You really are a pervert," he told himself.

He rapped the end of his staff against an obliging tree, letting the brass ring gently in the quiet forest air. "Sango," he called out. "Are you here?"

"Miroku?" her voice answered. "Don't come back here, I'm not dressed yet."

He groaned and closed his eyes. An opportunity. Wasted. Damn him for deciding to put his lecherous tendencies on hold, moral superiority really didn't suit him. "I should have chosen another profession," he muttered, his tone dark as he waited for Sango to appear. She came out of the bushes, trying the wide soft sash of her new clothing.

He gave her an appreciative glance, rather approving of Jano's gift. The soft dark fabric clung to her body lovingly, outlining her perfect figure and contrasting with her pale skin. It wasn't as snug as her exterminator uniform, but the severe cut of the garments gave her elegance, an imposing air of authority and beauty that quite took his breath away.

"Are you done staring?" she asked, humor evident in her tone. Some things never changed; although she had to give him credit for not barging in on her while she had been bathing. She'd still had a little blood on her from her earlier wounds and loathed the idea of letting the smell get into her new clothes.

Miroku grinned at her expression, half amused and half annoyed with him as usual. "Can I help it if I'm awestruck by your beauty?" he asked gamely, hoping to see her smile.

She did, blushing a little as she always had when he flirted with her. Sango shook back her hair, left hanging loose down her back. The dark strands fell over shoulder, catching the sunlight and giving him hints of red and gold highlights.

"I came to see if you were all right. You looked a bit overwhelmed."

Sango sighed heavily and sat down on a log, using her fingers to comb her hair. "I didn't mean to get so emotional. It must be the demon blood, I'm glad Jano explained it to me. I honestly thought I was going crazy."

He sat down next to her, smiling. "Emotional? I hadn't noticed."

"Oh you liar," she said, laughing. He loved her laugh. "I've been acting like a wild woman ever since...since..." she trailed off, her eyes going dark as she looked away. Since he'd thrown her out, cast her aside? Abandoned her and their child to fend for themselves without him.

"Sango?" Miroku's voice was very gentle. "It will be okay, Sango. Don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried," she told him in a voice every bit as soft. "I'll be fine. I know I'm not alone; you and the others will stay by me. I don't doubt any of you."

He nodded. "Good, we can't completely understand how you feel, but if there's anything we can do, all you have to do is ask."

Her hand covered his and Miroku tried to ignore the fluttery feeling in his chest. "It's just that I miss him," she said, sounding ashamed. "I know I'm being stupid, but I can't help it."

"You are not stupid," he answered passionately, grabbing her hand and squeezing it hard. "Don't ever say that, you are not stupid for loving, Sango. He's a fool, a lost, misbegotten fool for not understanding that."

A tear formed in the corner of her eye and slowly slid down her cheek. He followed its track with his gaze as the droplet fell from the smooth surface of her skin. Gently, he raised his bound hand and brushed it away, the tip of his finger tracing the line of her face.

"It breaks my heart to see you this way," he murmured, his expression full of emotion.

She caught her breath and held back a sob. "Miroku," she whispered, her hand finding his. "I don't deserve someone like you by my side."

He didn't think about it, he was way past thinking. She was so close, so vulnerable and soft. He didn't think he'd ever seen her eyes so beautiful. Unshed tears made them sparkle like jewels and he found he was starting to breathe faster, his pulse speeding up at the intimacy of the moment and the nearness of her.

He could feel the heat of her body reaching towards him and Miroku longed to hold her, soothe away those wasteful tears and stroke the shining length of her hair. He knew that he shouldn't, he knew it in the same way he knew every bead of the rosary that bound his hand. It was smooth and familiar, the texture of her rejection. He was well accustomed to the way she'd always pushed him away and still pulled him closer with every movement. It hurt, it stung in a delicious way and part of him wanted it to always sting and burn, a blister on his heart.

Sango watched his face soften, the way his eyes slid dreamily out of focus as they watched her lips. She knew this feeling; she had seen it before but not with Miroku. Suddenly the air seemed too thick and heavy for her lungs as the monk leaned closer, his lips softly parted. Because she did love him, not at all in the same way as she loved Sesshomaru, but it was indeed love she felt, Sango allowed it.

Their lips touched, so gently, so briefly, like firefly lighting on a leaf. Then he moved back, looked her right in the eyes as he put his hand to her cheek and kissed her again.

She closed her eyes, letting him tilt her face back as the gentle pressure on her mouth increased and his tongue probed between her lips sweetly. She let herself relax into the moment, accepting him, not wanting him to feel rejection from her. For all the times she had rejected him, yelled at him, hit him with Hiraikotsu or the flat plane of her hand, she gave him this one kiss.

It wasn't as if it meant nothing, oh gods, it meant everything.

Her loyal friend, wistful almost-lover, defender and support. He was the rock when she shattered and broke; he was the soothing cool wind when fever and despair fed on her soul. She would never forget him just as she did not forgive herself for not being his. Her hand strayed to the back of his neck then brushed the dark wisps of his hair back from his forehead. She'd always wanted to do that, knew she wanted to and didn't dare because he'd always take it for an invitation she wasn't ready to extend.

Miroku felt that touch, felt her return his kiss, tenderly, passionately even. Giving him a taste of what she was, who she was and what she wasn't ever going to be. It saddened him even as the soft kiss aroused him. Miroku had kissed more than a few women in his day.

When he was a child, flirting shamelessly with the village women who cuddled and kissed him. As a teenager when he talked maidens out of chaste pecks on the cheek and more when he could. And he'd kissed women who saw him as a handsome charmer, women who gave their favors away for a price, and women who sought comfort in the arms of a gentle voiced monk.

He'd kissed enough women to tell the difference, that slim shade of knowing when a girl desired him and when she simply kissed him, but her heart did not move beyond that. He was not what she needed.

Sango saw the sadness in his eyes when he pulled away, still tender and rueful, but understanding her just the same. No bitterness was in his tone, only a wistful desire and regret. "Somehow," he said, almost confessing as his fingers rested on her face. "I've always thought that somehow you...you wanted me."

Her lips parted to answer, but he saw Sango's eyes go wide, sensing something in the currents of the air. Premonition maybe or just her newly superior sense of smell and sharpened instincts. Then he felt a crushing pain in his throat as Sango was torn away from him. He didn't see what attacked them, only the rush of wind in his ears, watching as the exterminator was flung backwards off the log where they sat.

It was disorienting as hell, being grabbed by the neck and dangled like a dead rabbit in a snare. Both his hands clamped desperately around the icy iron wrist that held him, wincing in pain as the sharp claws punctured his skin. Cold golden eyes stared into his; the expressionless mask had melted away to reveal the angry demon that lurked inside the elegant lord. Sesshomaru looked pissed as hell but Miroku couldn't think about that as he was being slowly strangled by the weight of his own body hanging from the youkai's powerful grip.

"You dare touch what is mine?" the demon hissed, his eyes glowing in crimson fury.

Miroku felt his throat being crushed by Sesshomaru's tightening grip. The inuyoukai could probably break his neck with just a twitch of his fingers. The monk's face was turning purple from the pressure, his pulse beating a frantic rhythm against his temples. He could open the air rip in his hand, which would defeat the demon.

Almost his fingers twitched towards the beads, but he knew that even as he destroyed Sesshomaru, he would destroy himself, sucked into the gaping void of his curse. So he hung limply, waiting for a revelation or rescue. It really was a shame that Sango would have to see him die; she would never forgive herself for it.

He heard a whirring sound and saw the pale hair of the demon lord stir when something passed over them, something fast and deadly, almost clipping them before it spun in an elegant arc and returned to the hand of she who had thrown it. Sesshomaru snarled, his burning gaze shifting from Miroku's agonized face to that of his mate, his lover and the mother of his heir.

Sango caught the boomerang neatly in her practiced grip, one arm flung up as the other's hand splayed on the ground. She rose from her half crouching position slowly, never taking her eyes from Sesshomaru's. Iron will was the only thing in her eyes, resolve and fury radiating like a palpable force from her slender frame.

"Let him go, Sesshomaru," she said in a tone as icy as a youkai lord's soul. Her fingers flexed on Hiraikotsu. "I swear I won't miss a second time."


	34. ThirtyFour

Chapter ThirtyFour

The air was dead, utterly silent as the youkai and the exterminator faced each other. His lip curled in contempt, how dare she challenge him? He had tolerated her defiance once before, at this moment he was not feeling that generous. A single snap of his youki and everything she was would cease to exist. He could erase her; burn her presence from the face of the earth.

And she knew it, he read it in her eyes behind the anger, she knew exactly what he was and what he was capable of.

She didn't back down, she didn't kneel meekly and beg for his mercy. That might have even worked, no matter how furious, he was still held by his mate's pleas. It had saved Hisuni's life, he had been pleased then to show his mercy, show the woman he was able to be touched by her words. That alone was the reason why the clanlord still breathed.

This human though, this puny, sweating, frightened lower form of life. This one he could kill and not think twice about it. It would be such a simple thing, contract the muscles in the hand, and drive the claws in deep. One quick shake and it would be over; the monk need not feel another second of pain, of fear or regret. He would not feel desire either, the demon lord could smell lust on the human's body, lust for his mate.

That alone was enough to drive him into a killing frenzy, one that would only be satisfied when blood smeared the grass under his feet and he no longer had to endure the stink of another man's hands on his mate's flesh. He could kill this one quickly, that was how he might demonstrate his mercy.

He could hear her breathing, her rapid exhalations as she stood stock-still and stared at him, that ridiculous weapon held high over her head. Didn't she know that something like her Hiraikotsu couldn't kill one of his bloodline? It took more than physical strength to defeat a daiyoukai.

And he was no normal demon, the blood of the greatest dog general ever born flowed in his veins, death itself stopped and bowed to him, to him! A mere woman, a human, a so-called exterminator had no chance of emerging victorious from a confrontation with this lord, the killing perfection that was this Sesshomaru.

She did not bend. She did not face him with fear or terror unlike so many others that he'd slain. Instead she faced him bravely, her courage staggered him, made him feel less than he was. He met the fire of her recrimination, her demand, and found himself bound by it. Impossible. He would not allow it. This male had touched his mate, laid his lips upon hers even knowing to whom she belonged.

Since when did he suffer the insults of humans? He did not. He squeezed just a little harder, enough to make panic rise in the human's face, a harsh labored gasp burst from his mouth. _Was it worth it_, the demon lord asked silently, staring into the dying creature's eyes. _Was it worth giving your life to taste her? I want you to tell me_.

"Sesshomaru," his mate's voice rang out harshly, he could hear the fury rising in her as she called his name. She'd called his name in passion once, not like this, not with hatred and resolve corroding the nightingale sweetness of her voice. He despised the sound of his name falling from her lips like a curse. He never should have allowed her to leave, he never should have thought about dismissing her.

His claim was laid upon her womb and he'd thought also her heart. He'd been a fool for believing humans to have the capacity of feeling as youkai did, the depth, the many colors of emotion and loyalty. Had she not betrayed him with her defiance, her insistence on going in pursuit of that abomination?

And still he wanted her, just looking at her standing there, so full of defiance and brave, stupid courage, he wanted her more than he'd realized possible. For all he'd dismissed her, punished her with his rejection, his body craved hers on an instinctive level. He felt a primal need to crush the monk's throat like an eggshell and go to her, drive her body into the ground with his, cover her with his scent and hear her screams of submission.

He thought she recognized it, how close he was to losing his control and doing things he would never be able to take back. The woman crouched, her arm tensing in readiness. He was waiting for the throw. The moment she loosed her weapon this male would die, he swore it to himself, holding her fast with his implacable gaze still golden, but tinged with red darkness.

She was sweating now, giving off the most intoxicating aroma of desperation, he could see the tremble in her thighs as she faced him. The indecision, the conflict. His child's blood mingled with hers and he could almost hear the baby's youki screaming out from the wrongness of its mother challenging its sire.

Slowly, his lips split into a predatory smile, fangs gleaming sharp at her. The monk was nearly unconscious now, hanging like dead prey from his claws. Another minute or two and he needn't bother with snapping his neck or tearing out his throat. Slow asphyxiation from the pressure of his grasp and gravity itself would do his work for him.

His mate twitched, pain suddenly filling her eyes. "Please," she murmured, looking lost and forlorn as a child wrenched from her mother. She was going to beg him for her suitor's life? He would laugh at that. It would please him to hear her ask.

He was wrong. She took a deep breath and cocked her elbow. "I beg you, don't make me do this."

His soul cried out at her tone and his eyes widened slightly. She wasn't begging for the man's life, she was pleading with him to not make her attack. Just as he was holding back and waiting for her move. It was...tearing her, he could sense it now.

Concern for her companion, yes. Righteous anger, yes again. But this exterminator loathed the thought of attacking this youkai. Just as she could sense his anger pulsing like a raging hot heart beneath his ribs, so could he sense hers. Her regret, her horror, the absolute commitment that would break her heart into pieces so small she might never collect them all again.

He was doing this to her. He was destroying her.

Abruptly, he pulled the youki back, banished the darkness to the pits of his soul where it bred. A light wind whispered over them, stirring his silvery hair, lifting the snow-white pelt he wore and making the silk rustle over his skin as softly as a woman's kiss. He had been born with a will of iron and the discipline to control himself had been hammered into him by his father, a man bent on seeing that his son had no master at all but his own conscience.

He called upon that will his father had forged into steel to make himself let go, let the white fingers unclench and drop the human before his mortal body succumbed in death. His mate's gasp of surprise and desperate rescue echoed hollowly in his ears. He felt as barren as a wasteland, empty and dry as a funeral drum. That was how it felt when he let the rage seep out of him, unsatisfied and wanting.

He turned from her, a pallid ghost in the bright morning sunshine, and a shadow on the face of all things mortal or vulnerable. His voice was cool, emotionless as he left her standing there. "Hell may take you both, exterminator. I care not."

Her snarl of fury stopped him, stopped him cold when he felt her anger crash upon him from all the way across the clearing. Sango slammed the edge of Hiraikotsu into the ground, burying the weapon deep in her wrath.

"Don't turn your back on me!" she screamed, her voice searing him like fire.

Sesshomaru didn't turn around, but he heard her charge at him, leaping over the half conscious monk like he was an obstacle not worth her time to consider. She pulled up short before reaching him, her breath hard and ragged.

"Damn you," she whispered. "How can you just forget me?"

Forget her? As if he could. It was impossible, even with all his power he knew that was something he would fail at. Forget her, he might as well forget the sun that rose every day, forget the moon that waxed and waned to her own rhythms. He might as well forget his own heartbeat; he would forget all else and live nameless under the sky before he forgot her. He didn't answer, instead he made himself move away from her, withdrawing silently into the trees.

Sango took a deep breath, cursed her rotten luck, and plunged into the forest after him.

oOo

Kohaku hadn't slept in two days. He managed to hide it from Makiko, but Rin suspected something, he was sure. The girl clung to his side more often than not, following him relentlessly as he wandered the fortress. He found it strange that he was allowed so much freedom. Wasn't he just a cast off human, coming to settle here at a youkai's fortress because he had no other choices left? Kohaku's days were long, empty of purpose and if he was lucky, empty of thinking as well.

He was tired but he didn't want to sleep, he stared at his bed at night, crouched in a cold corner of his room. That bed had become his enemy; it had become his opponent the same as the many demons he'd slain had been his opponents. He just didn't know why.

The nightmares were getting worse.

It was, he decided, not such an unexpected thing. After his sister had left, he'd felt the absence of her presence right down to his tattered soul. It made him sad; it made him angry, and at first Kohaku told himself that it was only anger and unrest that made the nightmares so strong. He hated being here among demons, he didn't care if they were kind or if they were cruel. He didn't care if his master was Sesshomaru or Naraku at this point.

He was a prisoner again and he felt the resentment creep like floodwater over his toes.

So he wandered, as restless during the day as he was sleepless at night. He knew it was only a matter of time before his body gave out and he nodded off. Kohaku wasn't looking forward to it, but in his short lifetime he'd managed to accept that things happened to him that he didn't want.

First he'd been bound by a shard that cut open his back, tore his soul wide open and gaping and let his will leak out like sand from a sieve leaving only those few grains that dusted the rim. Inside those grains was a memory or two, of his sister, of his father, of his life before Naraku. He hoarded them close, keeping them in his heart like a treasure he didn't want discovered. Another grain or two belonged to the recent past, when he'd thought that for once, it would all work out for the best and they'd get to be happy.

"Kohaku?"

He turned when a woman's voice said his name, his body obeying automatically whether he told it to or not. Makiko was standing there, a suspicious expression on her face as she narrowly watched her young human charge. He looked back at her placidly, his arms hanging limp and pliant at his sides.

"Yes, Makiko-san?" he asked politely.

She reached out a finger and tipped his face up, staring down at him with implacable dark eyes. "Why haven't you been sleeping?"

The boy twisted his face away from her. "I sleep fine, Makiko-san. Thank you for asking."

She blinked at him, catching the strange hitch in his tone. "Since when are you so formal?" the woman demanded. "I haven't got a polite word out of Rin for two days and now you're killing me with kindness. Tell me what the problem is."

The boy's eyes seemed a little over bright, she decided. Maybe a fever, maybe his illness returning? Makiko didn't like the idea of her young humans falling ill and moved her hand to brush Kohaku's hair back from his forehead. "Are you feeling ill?" she asked quietly.

Kohaku flinched away from her touch and Makiko felt the tiniest sting from his rejection. The boy sullenly dropped his eyes to the floor. "I am not sick. Please just leave me alone."

Makiko sighed. "Kohaku," she began, reaching for him. "If something is bothering you, I should know about it." Her words stopped when the boy ducked away from her touch, pressing his back against the cold wall of the corridor and looking like she'd tried to bite him instead of comfort him. She scented it then, heard it in his ragged breathing and rapid heartbeat.

Slowly, her hand fell away from him, dropped limp and useless at her side. "Since when are you afraid of me?" she whispered.

His eyes widened and Kohaku trembled for a moment, seized by the sensation of dread once again. "Don't touch me, demon," he hissed, stumbling away from her like she was diseased.

The youkai woman stood for a long moment after the boy turned and ran from her, ran from her like she was everything he'd ever been told to be afraid of. She was quite frankly stunned by his behavior and wished suddenly that Jano were in the fortress. He seemed to have an easier time talking to the boy, but Makiko honestly thought that she'd managed to gain some measure of trust from the abused human.

It made no sense and nothing good could come from this. She turned and walked away, finding the longer route to the kitchen so she'd have time to think.

Kohaku didn't know why he'd suddenly been so afraid of Makiko; the woman had shown him nothing but kindness. It was just that somewhere in the back of his mind, a red-eyed monster had appeared, eclipsing the sight of the kindly head of staff until he could no longer tell who or what he was talking to.

He just knew he had to get away from her as fast as possible. And he was tired, he was so tired and he knew he couldn't keep up the pretense very much longer. If Makiko suspected him, she was quite capable of throwing him over her shoulder and dragging him off to the infirmary. There he'd be confined to a bed until he couldn't fight the physical exhaustion of his body and gave himself over to sleep. He wouldn't let it happen.

Now he had a better idea of where things were in the fortress. Rin had shown him where most of the storerooms were, where he could find a place to be alone, undisturbed. Kohaku thought that if he went back to his room it would be too easy to find him when they came. He wasn't going without a fight, just because these demons had chosen to keep him didn't mean that he was going to play their game.

No, he was done with obeying others, he was done with letting everyone else rule his life.

The boy searched until he found what seemed to be a nice, out of the way storeroom. The inside smelled slightly musty, a guarantee that it wasn't used often. All he found inside was a few empty baskets, a few bolts of rough cloth that obviously weren't up to household standards.

He shivered, finding the darkest corner of the dark room and sat down with his knees pulled up against his chest. He was just tired, that was all. There was nothing strange about the way he was acting; Makiko didn't know what she was talking about. He just needed to be left alone.

Slipping his hand inside his yukata, he fumbled for the little glass bottle he'd stashed there. He didn't feel right just leaving it in his room where anyone could find it and take it away from him. And Kagome had trusted him with it. He didn't understand why, but she trusted him.

Didn't she know that he'd already betrayed everything he'd once believed in? Didn't Kagome understand that he'd been used, been made helpless by Naraku, made to commit atrocity after atrocity until his very soul shriveled and wailed in horror? Why would the priestess give him something so important?

Kohaku sighed and dropped his head on his arms. He closed his eyes, trying to picture her face in his mind. It calmed him, thinking of the young priestess. In his life, there had been far too few times he'd met someone as good, as pure, as kind. He would not fail her; he would keep the shard safe from the demons that wanted it. Even if they destroyed him, he wouldn't give it up without a fight.

Kagome-chan was counting on him.

oOo

Sango tore her way through the thick underbrush, wondering why it seemed to slow her down so much and him not a bit. Just another unfair advantage he had over lesser beings. Well, this lesser being wasn't going to go away, this lesser being had a few demands to make. She wasn't just some whore he'd shoved out of his bed and she hated that he'd made her feel like that.

Just as she hated that she still loved him, wanted him, and needed him so badly it made her blood boil. And he, in his infinitely icy perfection, didn't need her at all.

A branch dipped low and scratched her face; she hadn't been watching where she was going. Sango winced, pressing her finger against the gash, really too deep to be called a scratch. If she could believe Jano, this too would heal from her child's youkai blood. She looked at the blood on her fingertip and wanted to do...something. She wanted to taste it to see if she could tell the difference.

It wasn't such a strange thing, how many times during training did she nick herself with a blade and automatically stick the bleeding finger in her mouth to suck and soothe away the pain? Her tongue darted out of its own accord as Sango didn't have much to say about it. But the blood tasted normal, metallic and yet not, blandly tasteless for the most part.

Confrontation. What would she say to him? She was glad he'd let Miroku go, just like Sesshomaru to show up at the wrong time and misunderstand everything. Maybe seeing them together had just confirmed all the things he'd thought about her. She was only a mere human, turning to another mortal for the sake of comfort. Sesshomaru didn't need to be comforted; he didn't need anything at all.

Sango's eyes narrowed slightly as she pressed on, stumbling slightly over a few tree roots and low, tangled grasses. She wiped the sweat out of her eyes as she pursued her demon lover, wincing as the salt stung her scratched face.

Why was she even going after him? Sango didn't know, but she did understand that she couldn't help herself. Her legs carried her forward with no volition of her own, something inside her compelled, forced to follow him. If she were smarter, she would have stayed with Miroku, made sure her friend hadn't taken damage from his dangle at the end of Sesshomaru's malice. She should be supporting him, he who'd always supported her, tending his injuries and offering him comfort, considering that she was directly the cause of the attack.

Her teeth ground together, her lips pulling back in an almost feral snarl of anger. How dare that bastard attack her friend? He was the one who'd thrown her away, treated her like nothing, not even being the mother of his child seemed to matter.

And then he hunted her down and attacked the man who kissed her? When he'd already made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her all, then he'd shown up like death itself and damn near torn the monk's head off with one clawed hand. He was going to answer for that, by the gods, and answer for a few other things. Sango would show him she was no woman to be taken lightly. She was a demon exterminator and he was a demon. It was time for them both to act like it.

She stumbled badly as the trees seemed to part for her, finding herself in a small clearing. The morning sunlight fell brightly through the leaves, dappling the soft grass with patterns of darkness and light, constantly moving as the wind played games. He wasn't here, that surprised her. The instinct that had pressed her on evaporated, leaving her standing cold and alone, wondering about herself.

Sango blinked a few times, bewildered. Why did she suddenly feel like everything around her was moving so slowly? It was like all her senses; the ones augmented by her baby's energy, suddenly were muffled and snuffed. It was very disorienting.

She was nearly swept off her feet when the clawed hand touched her throat, pressing her back hard against him. Sesshomaru's voice hissed in her ear.

"Stupid woman, do you wish to die by my hand after all?"

Sango didn't hesitate; she planted her feet and surged against him, driving her elbow as hard as she could into his midsection. Her bones cracked painfully against his armor, not hurting him in the slightest, but she felt the fingers on her neck lighten momentarily. Enough for her to break away, panting hard and grabbing the hilt of her sword in her fist. He just stared at her, his face expressionless and no warmth in those golden eyes.

Sesshomaru tilted his head the side, a sweep of white hair falling gently over his shoulder. Like he'd never touched her with a hint of tenderness, like he hadn't made her scream out his name in passion, his voice came lazy and slow. "If you draw that weapon against me, exterminator, it will be the last thing you ever do."

Shaking, she held herself with all her will from doing just that. "So this is your true nature," she rasped. "I should have known from the beginning what you really were. You'd murder me even though I carry your child."

His mouth tightened, the delicate line of his jaw growing hard. "It is in my nature to punish a mate for her disobedience, I have shown you far too much tolerance as it is. I no longer desire to be so lax."

Sango laughed, her voice sounded harsh and strained even in her own ears. "I'm not your mate, remember? You cast me aside because I no longer amuse you. I had no idea demons could forget things so quickly."

"I forget nothing," he said harshly, almost growling the words. "It was you that forgot your place, woman. I made you my mate, gave you my child. Yet you defied me to chase after an abomination that is not worth the risk to your life or my child's life. You expect me to forget an insult like that?"

Insult? Sango hesitated; she'd never seen it like that before. She'd insulted him by leaving, by wanting to leave? By holding her vengeful anger against Naraku as more important that his wishes or the safety of her baby. Her head dropped forward, her hair brushing against her cheeks as the confusion boiled within her mind.

_Go to him_, the instincts said. _Apologize, beg him to take us back, and don't leave us here without protection. We need him_.

She shook her head hard, not liking the way something made her spine want to become jelly and give in. Sango raised her chin, her eyes glittering at him as the anger burst forth to consume her again. "You abandoned me, Sesshomaru."

"And you sought comfort elsewhere," he sneered. His hand gestured elegantly. "How faithless is a human heart that you'd forget me so quickly and seek another's arms? As I said before, I regret our union and whatever desire I may have once felt for you."

She paled slightly; his words were hurting her, digging at her. _Good_, he thought, pleased that he still had the ability to affect her. It would not be fitting for him to not inflict a similar pain as the one he'd felt when seeing her with another man's lips on hers. The woman's mouth trembled, tears starting to well in her eyes.

"It wasn't like that, Sesshomaru," she murmured. "Miroku is my friend, I don't feel that way for him."

_Lying wench_, he thought, his lip curling in contempt. He stepped closer, intimidating, threatening with all the menace he could project. "Your actions said otherwise. Tell me, is this friend of yours a fitting replacement for me as father to your child? Is that why you allowed him to touch you so intimately? I would see you both dead before I allowed my offspring to be raised by a human male."

Her eyes flashed, her back stiffened and Sango stepped back from him, repulsed. "Miroku would be ten times the father you're capable of being," she said, her voice sounding almost choked. "I would rather have my baby know a loving man for a father instead of cruel youkai like you."

Impossible. It was disgraceful that her words could burn him. How dare she suggest that a mortal like that could be more suitable than the child's own sire? The very idea made his eyes flash red with fury. She deserved to be struck down for her insolence, but even now in the grip of true anger, he made himself stay his hand. He had not yet fallen so low as to lash out at her in rage. She still carried his child, no matter how he desired to punish her, no matter what he threatened; he was not about to destroy what belonged to him.

"So," he said at last, calming himself with an effort. "I will leave you to your humans, Sango. When the child is born, I will come for it and you need not be concerned with its fate. You may then forget that you ever bore such a burden from me."

He turned to go, thinking that perhaps he'd said too much of his intentions. It didn't matter anymore.

"Bastard," she snarled, throwing the curse at him like a dagger meant for his back. "I'd never let you take my baby away from me."

"You do not have a choice," he said softly. "I have decided."

Sango felt madness coming on; her tenuous hold on her emotions broke at the idea of him taking her baby from her when it was born. Like she was unfit to raise his child, like she was damaged in some way. It made her sick and it made her furious and all the pain, fury and need exploded inside her, setting her afire and driving rational thought from her mind like hot summer wind fanning the flames of a raging wildfire.

She attacked him, screaming, throwing herself at Sesshomaru with a mindless desperation. Sango forgot that she carried a blade and tore at him with her bare hands, her own inadequate fingernails. Her hands ripped at his smooth hair, shredded into his soft silk garments.

Sesshomaru spun around at the onset on her fury, bringing his arm up automatically to ward off the blows. She continued relentlessly, trying to hit him, punch and kick. He held her back easily enough, moving out of her way when she came at him. Her eyes were the color of insanity and Sesshomaru found himself at a loss for what to do.

He made no move to return her attack, end this futile, mistaken affair for good. He was a pure youkai, he didn't have to endure this or hold himself back. Why not? Why should he not destroy her after all? She was his and she had defied him, attacked him. He didn't move against her, letting the woman's hands find his flesh more often that not, absorbing her blows.

Sango gathered herself and hit him hard in the face, still he didn't move. Her fury tore at him, rending his skin with her puny human claws, her tiny fists battering against his chest and face didn't so much as make him flinch.

Sesshomaru frowned under her assault, occasionally brushing aside her strikes with a perfectly timed motion of his arm. Her scent. There was something different about her scent.

He reached out quickly as she threw herself at him again, this time catching her and crushing her against his body. His face dipped close to hers as she struggled, her cursing almost incomprehensible, driven beyond speech. The youkai lord inhaled deeply, catching the human's altered smell and the whisper of a memory invaded his mind.

_"You're going to that woman again, father?" a younger Sesshomaru said, his voice like a whip of his disapproval._

_Inutaisho sighed, not looking at his son. "Yes. I don't need your approval, Sesshomaru. It's about time you remembered that."_

_"I remember that you abandoned your duties to go to her," the younger demon snapped, disgust coloring his tone. "The great Lord of the West at the beck and call of a human female. This is shameful, father. Am I supposed to bear the mockery of the court silently when you choose to neglect your rule in order to be at her side?"_

_His father paused, one hand resting against the frame of the door as he left the room. "She can't help it, Sessh. It's not an easy thing for a human to bear a daiyoukai's child. The youki in her blood can drive her insane if I'm not there to help contain it. I promise things will be easier once the baby is born and she has some control over her own body again."_

_"I suppose you will be bringing her and her bastard child to the fortress then," Sesshomaru said, his voice dripping with contempt._

_Inutaisho's eyes flashed. "No. It would only endanger them both to be here at this time. Again, that's why I must go to her side instead of keeping her here. One of these days you might understand why, but I don't have time to argue with a spoiled brat. It is beneath you to act like this, Sesshomaru. I thought by now you'd understand there are many shades of honor and responsibility. _

"_Instead, you're still just a jealous child."_

His father's words still stung him, stung his pride in the way that only Inutaisho had ever been able to do. And now he looked at the woman he'd chosen, yes, he had chosen her. Her face was contorted as she fought against him, a butterfly trapped in his fist. The pain and desperation in her eyes clawed at him like a thousand blades, each one cutting deep into his reserve.

Of course, the youkai blood would drive her insane without him there to soothe and calm it. How had he forgotten that? Now he understood why he'd been so angry, so unforgiving when she'd left him. Why it had enraged him to the point of rejecting her in turn. He was, indeed, every bit as foolish as his father had said.

Sesshomaru dropped his arm and let Sango free, not knowing if she'd retreat or attack again. The girl was shaking, almost falling over as he watched. Then her face came up and she ran at him, screaming like a mindless creature and flung herself at him, her blunt teeth buried deep at his throat.

He let her take him, drive him to the ground. The force of her attack toppled them once he relented. Sango came down hard on his chest, biting at him like a wild creature and Sesshomaru smelled his own blood. She was whimpering now, making small noises like a trapped animal fearing for its life.

Sesshomaru didn't like the sound; his mate should never have been driven to such a state. He had done it, he had done this to her, but he now understood how to help heal the damage.

Sango grunted when he suddenly turned them over, trapping her body with his. He curled protectively around her, not letting her move but restraining her with his hold. Her legs twisted and kicked against his, she kept trying to shove against the ground in order throw him off.

"Stop it," he whispered.

Her body stilled at his soft tone and he nuzzled her neck. "Don't fight me, Sango," he said, making his voice gentle. This was difficult; he could feel her heart fluttering against her ribs, her rapid breathing. Very gently, he pressed his fangs against the skin at the back of her neck and growled so softly that it was almost inaudible. He could feel the tension drain out of her and Sango sagged against his hold.

"Better," he murmured, licking her neck reassuringly. Now that he'd tasted her skin, it was almost impossible to stop himself from continuing. Wordless, she stretched so that he'd have better access to her, a low rumbling sound of pleasure coming from her lips as she pressed her body against his.

He could feel her arousal building and smiled into her throat in between lazy licks at her skin. She still wanted him, she needed him and not just because of the child's demon blood. She was still his mate, no matter what either of them said or tried to convince themselves.

Sango murmured as he rolled her over, wanting to see her face. Her eyes were still a bit dazed, confused but accepting as he touched her lips with the tip of a finger. Her tongue slipped out, moist and pink, to touch his finger and gently draw it inside her mouth. He watched, fascinated, as her lips enveloped his finger, the pressure of her tongue warm and soft. Almost shy, she nibbled at the tip of his claw and watched as Sesshomaru's face melted in an expression of pure desire.

"You make me insane," he whispered heavily.

Breathing a bit raggedly, he leaned close to lick at the sides of her mouth before touching her lips in a soft kiss. He regretted ever saying what he'd said, threatening her, his mate, like she were some kind of beast demon, some lower creature who didn't deserve better. Sango didn't answer, she was still too fogged by instinct to respond verbally, but her body knew what it needed from him. She pulled him to her with shaking hands, burying her fingers in his soft hair as she kissed him deeply.

It was probably the first time he'd ever felt such an overwhelming emotion, such a need to communicate with her. The words didn't come to his mind easily; he had never meant them as much as he meant them now. He might never have said them before at all, but now he breathed them with a tenderness and sincerity that astounded him with its depth.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you."

Her eyes were deep pools; he wanted to drown himself in them as she moved under him. Sesshomaru slid his hand under her clothing and cupped her breast in his palm as he kissed her throat. Sango's body arched against him, twisting as his thumb caressed her nipple almost roughly, pinching it into a hard point. Then he abandoned all pretenses at being in control and yanked the cloth away so his mouth could reach her breast.

She cried out, still wordless with need as he sucked hard on her skin, the rough texture of his tongue making her nerves raw with desire. She shook her head wildly, pressed her hands against him like she wanted to push him away, the sensation too intense to bear. He only brought his hand up again to stroke the other breast, leaving the tormented one and diving over to its twin.

Sango snarled at him, tearing at him now, still pinned by the greater weight of his body. She wanted him now, she couldn't be denied and she was angry with him for teasing her breasts while her body ached against him. Primal need was driving her instincts now, he was her mate, hers alone and she demanded him to satisfy this ache that was consuming her.

He moved away, reaching up to remove his armor and Sango pushed him hard, shoving him further back as she sat up in his embrace. His eyes glittered angrily, thinking perhaps that she would deny him. Sango could sooner deny breathing than she could deny her want of him.

Instead she met his gaze hungrily as she stripped off her own clothing, her warm body fairly glowing. Watching his face as the desire made his eyes sharpen and glow, she laid back submissively in front of him. Her arms spread out to either side and she raised her legs, letting her knees fall apart as she welcomed him, inviting him to come to her.

Sesshomaru was shaking, no other prelude to lovemaking had ever left him feeling so helpless, so caught in the winds of their desire. With a soft cry he fell upon her, feeling the moment shift as he sought her desperately. Now he was the one was stunned by instinct, now he was the one who couldn't stand being without her. His icy reserve had melted, forgotten and flowing like snowmelt down a mountainside. He couldn't make himself be gentle; he was far too gone for that, finding her body offering solace from the fire consuming his blood.

Sango's knees clenched hard on his hips, her hands raked down his back as she cried for him. He answered with whispers and soft moans, striving against her, shattering himself and being reborn with each thrust, each answering murmur from her lips.

Her human smell filled his nostrils and he welcomed it, gathered it close to him in pure possessive drive, owning it and reveling in the way her form matched and surrendered to him. He was slipping, he was falling, and all the anger that had closed itself around him was dissolving, breaking away with each white-hot burn of pleasure. Hungrily, he took her mouth with his even as their hips clashed in rhythm, barely able to let her breathe from the hot passion that ate at their bodies.

At last, he could bear no more and threw back his head, howling in release and burying himself so deeply inside her that her body shuddered in response. Sango shouted his name in exultation, her voice clear and pure, and her face streaked with sweat and tears. He spiraled slowly back to himself, holding her tight, clutching her like a desperate and lonely child needing comfort.

Her breath was harsh and ragged on his neck as he pressed her face against him, his hand tightening in her hair and he closed his eyes and let the peaceful sensation of their bond wash him away.

She was his mate. She was his.

He was hers. And a demon who would never let himself be owned, not by desire, not by demands, surrendered his will as the hands of a woman wandered lazily through his hair.


	35. ThirtyFive

_**Chapter ThirtyFive**_

Yawning, Inuyasha rolled over on his back and looked at the sky. The sun was bright overhead; he must have dozed off for a couple hours. Kagome was a warm lump against his side and he raised himself on his elbow to look at her.

The girl was sleeping, curled up warm and trusting under his arm. One of her hands cradled her cheek, the other rested lightly on his chest. Her hair fluttered across her face as her breath stirred it and he watched, fascinated by the way the glossy black strands moved over her skin. A low sigh escaped his chest before he knew it and Inuyasha wondered for probably the hundredth time that day how the hell he was this lucky.

Slowly, not wanting to wake her, he leaned over and pressed his lips against her forehead in the lightest of kisses. She barely stirred, only smiled slightly in her sleep as her hand on his chest twitched, fingers flexing unconsciously in his red haori.

"You two are so cute I think I'm going to be sick," a low voice rumbled.

His eyes flicked up to look at the older demon that was lounging against the trunk of a tree. Jano was stretched out at his ease, ankles crossed and arms folded over his chest. Curled up on the inuyoukai's shoulder was a sleeping fire-cat and a kitsune pup was snuggled in his lap.

Inuyasha grinned, raising an eyebrow. "You're one to talk about cute, Jano. I think Shippou and Kirara are going to adopt you or something."

"Or something," the bodyguard replied humorously. He sat up a bit, not dislodging either of his sleeping guests. "I confess I'd be a bit embarrassed if any of the household guard saw me like this."

Inuyasha snorted, pulling himself up into a sitting position and gently moving Kagome so her head rested against his leg. "Afraid you'd ruin your reputation?" he asked, unable to keep from taunting Jano. He still didn't quite trust him, couldn't, not with him being one of Sesshomaru's closest allies.

"My reputation suffers enough as it is," Jano grinned.

The hanyou almost smiled back at him before turning to scan the forest, ears twitching. "How long did we sleep? Shouldn't Sango and Miroku be back by now?"

Jano shrugged. "Couple hours, I'd guess. They're probably okay."

Eyes narrowed, the half-breed gave him a suspicious look. "I thought my brother told you to keep an eye on her."

The demon regarded him soberly. "Sango is hardly helpless. In fact, I've never seen a human female so well adapted to taking care of herself."

Inuyasha would normally agree with that statement, especially lately with Sango having an overdeveloped interest in mayhem. "Aren't you going to be in for some hell about that? She almost got killed and I can't see Sesshomaru being particularly forgiving if he really sent you out her to protect her."

The accusation was implicit and both dog demons knew what Inuyasha was saying. If Jano wasn't here to protect her, wasn't he most likely here to kill Sango for defying his lord?

Ignoring the barb behind Inuyasha's comment, Jano just leaned back and studied the sky. "She healed pretty fast," he said at last, his voice open and noncommittal.

"But she still got badly injured," Inuyasha sniped. "You weren't here, pretty shitty job of bodyguarding, Jano. Tell me, does Sesshomaru usually kill his people for failing like that or will he let you off easy with a severe beating?"

Jano yawned to hide his annoyance. If the half-breed wanted to ask him about Sesshomaru, why didn't he just come out with what he wanted to say? "If I'd died every time Sessh threatened me with something heinous I never would have made it past my fifth summer. Your concern for my welfare is touching, if not unexpected."

Inuyasha just grunted and then moved quickly, dislodging a startled Kagome.

"Hey," she protested, pushing herself up off the ground.

Jano had also gotten to his feet, barely a second behind Inuyasha. Kirara didn't so much as twitch on his shoulder, possessing the feline ability to balance her body weight so perfectly that not even a sudden shift would wake her. A sleepy Shippou was draped over his arm though, rubbing his eyes with tiny fists.

"Whus the matter?" the kitsune mumbled.

They all stared as Miroku stumbled out of the forest, seeming barely able to stay on his feet. The monk's face was pale as death, stark in contrast to the livid bruise around his throat.

"Miroku!" Kagome cried, running to him. "What happened to you? Are you all right?"

"I'm alive," he husked, his voice sounding sore. Miroku suddenly fell to his knees, sinking back as Kagome grabbed his arm. He looked in pain. "I'm not sure why I'm still alive, but I am."

"Where's Sango?" Inuyasha asked, a bit confused by Miroku's unusual injuries. "Don't tell me she attacked you?"

The monk shook his head, feeling his neck gingerly. Kagome hissed in sympathy and went for her medical supplies. She didn't know what could cause bruising like that but she did have an analgesic cream that might help the pain.

"Sango wouldn't do this," the girl murmured.

"She would if he grabbed her butt," Inuyasha countered. "You didn't grope her did you, dumbass?"

Miroku glared at him. "I did not. We were just talking."

"Then who belted you around?"

Looking slightly abashed, the monk stared at the ground. "Her husband."

Inuyasha shot a glare over at Jano, who shrugged and looked innocent. "You knew he was here," the hanyou accused.

"I might have smelled something earlier, I couldn't be sure."

Inuyasha was furious. "And you didn't bother to mention that little fact? Gods, you're an asshole, Jano. Just like him in every single..."

Kagome burst in before Inuyasha could continue his tirade against his brother. "I don't believe that even Sesshomaru would attack you for no reason other than you were talking to Sango." The girl smeared cream onto the battered monk's throat. "How about telling us the truth?"

Miroku's voice was quiet, yet unrepentant. "I might have been kissing her at the time he saw us, I'm not sure. I remember her screaming at him to put me down before I passed out. I woke up alone, but at least I woke."

"You kissed her?" Jano asked, grinning widely. "You suicidal bastard."

"It was just a kiss," Miroku snapped, pushing Kagome's hands away. "How was I to know he'd show up right then?"

Jano laughed at his expression. "Looks like you got off easy, houshi-sama. Sesshomaru must have been in a mellow mood."

The bodyguard looked startled when Inuyasha grabbed his arm with a hard, unforgiving grip. "Mellow, eh? Miroku doesn't look like he thought it was mellow."

Jano's gaze went dark as he slowly reached up to pry the half-demon's fingers off him. "Mellow for your brother," he answered quietly.

"And what about Sango?" Inuyasha asked in a dangerous tone. "Is he also going to be mellow with her? Or should we start looking for her body?"

"He won't hurt her," Jano snapped back, his eyes glittering.

Inuyasha's expression was cold, making him sharply remember his older half brother. "Why should I believe a fucking word you say?"

"Because it's the truth, it would be dishonorable for him to harm Sango when she carries his child."

Inuyasha spat on the ground. "Like that son of a bitch gives a damn about honor!"

Silence filled the small glade as Jano and Inuyasha stared at each other. Finally, Jano took a deep breath and closed his eyes as if for the first time hanyou had truly tested his patience.

"You should not speak of what you don't understand."

"I understand all I need to," Inuyasha said coldly. "I understand that my brother is more than capable of hurting anyone he damn well pleases. Don't you stand there and tell me that Sesshomaru would even think twice about destroying her because Sango is pregnant with his half-breed brat."

"He won't," Jano said, gritting his teeth. Kagome and Miroku sat silently quite caught up in the strange confrontation. Inuyasha seemed genuinely worried and angry for Sango's safety. Jano didn't seem to be interested in defending Sesshomaru's intentions as much as he was stating a fact, like Sesshomaru would be unable to force himself to harm her or found himself bound in some way.

Softly, so softly that Kagome had to strain to hear his words, Inuyasha spoke what was on his mind. He watched Jano carefully. "You've known Sesshomaru your whole life, isn't that what you said? In that case, you know exactly what he thinks about human women, especially human women who have half-demon children. You know what he thinks of me. How can you stand there and lie to me when you tell me that Sesshomaru would ever consider anyone less than pure youkai to be worthy of living?"

Jano faced him resolutely. "I don't make apologies or excuses for what your brother believes. Many youkai, most actually, share his beliefs as I am sure you know. I do not, as your father did not, even years before he ever met your mother."

Inuyasha wasn't about to be distracted. "We aren't talking about my father or you either, Jano. I don't care what you think about me and I sure don't give a flying fuck about what Sesshomaru thinks about me. We're talking about Sango now. And whatever has been going on between them, I know how his mind works. I know Sesshomaru."

The demon didn't flinch, just met the angry golden gaze with his own dark one. "I know him better than you."

Inuyasha made a small hissing sound, like a pot of water come to a boil and ready to spill over the side onto hot coals. "Maybe you've known him longer, but not better. I'm going after Sango. You say he wouldn't hurt her, but I know better, I've seen what he's capable of."

The hanyou turned and started to stride away into the forest without so much as a backward glance but Jano was suddenly right in front of him, having moved so fast that neither Kagome nor Miroku saw so much as a blur. "You're wrong, Inuyasha," Jano said in a tense voice. "You're wrong about a lot of things; you let your hatred blind you. You're every bit as bad as Sessh when it comes to holding a grudge."

"Like I don't have a reason to hate his fucking guts?" Inuyasha shouted, suddenly exploding in fury. "How many times has that son of a bitch tried to kill me over Tessaiga?"

Jano smiled grimly. "Like I said, I don't make excuses for him. He's got his own issues over your father's sword. For that you can blame Inutaisho and no one else."

Laughing harshly, Inuyasha pushed his way past Jano. "Yeah, I'm sure he's got issues about it, and I don't give a damn about the old man's reasons either. If Sesshomaru was such a perfect son, tell me why he abandoned me after my mother died? Didn't want my dirty human blood in his precious fortress, didn't give a damn how I survived. That's the brother I know, that's how I know he'll abandon Sango and her child, damn him anyway."

He was ready to finish this conversation; nothing Jano had to say could make a difference to what he knew in his heart to be the truth. Inuyasha shoved Jano out of his way to go after his brother. His bitterness had become a part of him, a shell, and a coat of armor worn as easily as firerat fur and nearly as indestructible. He did not expect what the bodyguard did next.

Quick as a flash, Jano grabbed Inuyasha by the hair at the back of his neck, digging his claws hard into the hanyou as he yanked him sharply back, shook him once, and threw him hard enough to send him sprawling.

Kagome blinked, raised her hand to her mouth. Miroku's eyes were wide. Somehow, what Jano had just done resembled nothing so much as an older canine disciplining a disobedient pup. Inuyasha flipped over on his back, but Jano was already crouching over him and grabbed hold of an ear with a vice like grip. The half-breed inuyoukai stared at him, suddenly finding himself in a completely submissive position.

Not that he couldn't fight his way out of it; Jano's actions were intended to drive home a purely psychological point. Everything about his body language said _listen up, pay attention_ and without meaning to, Inuyasha gave him his full attention.

"You do not understand why he left you there," Jano said harshly. "I don't know how you lived as long as you did, being this damn dumb. You don't know what it was like after Inutaisho died. All the clans were in rebellion; the Western alliance was completely shattered when your father sacrificed his life to save you and your mother. It wasn't the fact that he had a hanyou child with a human woman; it was the fact that he turned his back on those who trusted him and needed him the most."

Inuyasha scowled, but Jano pinched his ear even tighter before continuing. "He left that mess behind for his son to clean up, cope with. You think you've seen suffering, you think you've seen battle? You've never seen an inuyoukai civil war. Maybe the one thing that could have made a difference, could have made it easier for Sesshomaru to pull his father's divided people together was for him to have had Tessaiga. That tangible piece of himself that your father could have left behind as a symbol for his son and his people. And that, you selfish, pitiful excuse for a hanyou, was the one thing that Inutaisho denied him."

Jano stood up, staring down at Inuyasha with contempt. "And as for abandoning you to live with humans, Sesshomaru did it to save your life. You wouldn't have lived past childhood if you'd been raised in the fortress where every member of the Daimyo's court was plotting and betraying each other in a struggle for position. You would have been poisoned, or stabbed, or most likely just torn to pieces by someone's claws the first time you were left unguarded. I remember exactly what it was like, I was there."

Inuyasha stared at the older demon, just stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't quite swallow what he was being told, too many years of rejection, too many years of nursing old hatred burned in his soul. He didn't want to give up his understanding that he was the one who had been betrayed, he was the one who had been abandoned. Somehow the idea of seeing Sesshomaru put in that same position, by his own father no less, shook him to his core.

He swallowed hard, meeting Jano's gaze head on. "Why should I believe you?" he whispered. "There's no one else that can back that up, I don't know if it's truth when you've got every reason to lie to me."

Jano sighed, his shoulders sagging and suddenly looked very tired. "Maybe there is one person who would tell you I'm not lying to you, Inuyasha. But I don't even know where I'd look for him right now."

Kagome gasped, jumping to her feet. Maybe it was intuition; maybe it was just dumb luck. Maybe it was just that after all this time she was finally starting to understand Inuyasha, really understand him. And through that, understand other inuyoukai, even Sesshomaru. Visions of war filled her mind, horrendous slaughters that left no one alive or unmaimed. Whole clans decimated and countless human lives sacrificed as they were caught in the crossfire of youkai warfare that left nothing behind but scarred earth, famine and death.

"I know who could tell you, Inuyasha. I know who Jano is talking about, because he was there with both Sesshomaru and Jano at the time."

Jano looked startled. "And how would you know that, priestess? Who do you think I'm talking about?"

Kagome smiled happily, remembering a kind faced man; a dislocated shoulder and a helpless grin that just couldn't stop.

"You're talking about Naota."

oOo

Naota didn't know what he'd done to deserve this and silently cursed Barou's worthless demon hide for putting him in this position. He didn't like youkai, didn't like them was probably way too mild for the way he felt about it. He knew youkai, he knew inuyoukai specifically, and from where he was standing wolf demons weren't any better, just like dogs in his opinion. They were all blustery, smelly, and belligerent as all hell.

Growing up as an orphaned hanyou nephew to a powerful Daimyo had given Naota a unique insight to the way that demons thought. He'd lived many, many years as a human, no trace of his youkai ancestry in his appearance although his mother had been a full blue-blooded youkai noble and his father had been the Daimyo's own half-breed brother.

His human heritage came from his father's mother, an unknown woman whose own story he had never learned. To be truthful, he hadn't asked either, although he'd seen a shadow or two in his uncle's eyes at the mere mention of him and his brother's sire and gathered that it was probably a good idea not to ask questions.

All he knew was that his grandfather, Sesshomaru's grandfather, had been a monster that would put all other dog demons to shame. A true nightstalking demon lord, pure evil incarnate and a healthy dose of absolute insanity. He grinned suddenly, thinking of that. Craziness definitely ran in his family.

"Hey, wimpy human! You keeping up with us or not?"

Naota's grin faded into a scowl that would rival his half-breed cousin's. The arrogant wolf demon had stopped a few dozen yards ahead of him and was giving him the kind of challenging smirk that put his nerves on edge. For the most part, Naota considered himself to be calm, easy going and circumspect. But demons brought out the worst in him, it was one of the many, excellent reasons he stayed away.

These western territories were his homeland; there was a fortress not far from here where he'd grown up, even a few childhood acquaintances that he wouldn't mind claiming. Like Barou, who had stuck him with the wolf demon in the first place. He didn't like Kouga or his assertion that Naota wasn't more than capable of keeping up with him and his two rather flustered followers. Ginta and Hakkaku were taking advantage of the pause to catch their breath.

"Don't worry about me, wolf," he said coldly. "I can keep up with you idiots just fine." And he could, the demon was fast but Naota wasn't an ordinary human like he thought. He'd decided to stay with the wolves because they were set on finding the same monster that had destroyed that village. According to Kouga it wasn't the first, although Naota's fists had clenched angrily at the wolf's breezy disregard for the peasants that had been so creatively slaughtered.

He didn't expect youkai to care that humans had been killed, not really, but even rude wolf demons should have been horrified at the precise and vicious nature of the deaths. Couldn't he tell when humans had been slaughtered for just fun, for just pure pleasure and then their bodies torn apart with a sickeningly obvious bloodlust?

What had destroyed that village hadn't just killed the inhabitants, it had fed upon them. Not so much out of physical hunger, but a frighteningly perverse desire for suffering. It fed on pain, not just blood. This was a killer that preferred his victims alive and screaming for the maximum amount of time.

He doubted if Kouga had really thought about it and hadn't mentioned it himself. Naota knew death. His own family had been slaughtered when he was a baby, he'd seen battles, and he'd seen the chaos that ruled the west after his uncle's death. It had made him sick; sick enough to turn his back on everything he'd known in his life, sick enough to turn his back on his cousin when he needed him the most.

He wasn't proud of that, but at the time he'd known that if he'd stayed much longer among inuyoukai, he might lose that very sense of compassion that set him apart from them. That compassion that his uncle had worked so hard to preserve in him, finding it lacking in his own son.

Angrily, he shook himself and stopped thinking about the past. Useless anyway, what did it matter now? The wolves had taken off and Naota started to run, falling into an easy, swift pace that could match even wolf demons. He would find whatever was killing humans with such wanton pleasure. No matter what Barou said, he didn't believe for a minute that Sesshomaru gave a damn about a few villages that weren't even his problem. It was up to him to make sure this ended and for once, Naota didn't mind being among demons if it accomplished that goal.

oOo

Sango stretched lazily, coming out of a doze that had left her entire body deliciously relaxed. For a moment, she was confused, looking around her and seeing forest, clothing scattered in a wide circle around her. Then a familiar hand wandered over her hip and she felt him kiss the back of her neck. Sesshomaru.

Sitting up, she suddenly felt exposed. "What happened to me?" she wondered aloud. All should could remember was a mindless anger, a desire to hurt him, tear at him, and punish him. Then an equally mindless lust had consumed her body and she would have killed anyone who tried to stop her from having him.

She blushed like fire and drew her knees to her chest in shame. What was she becoming? He had nearly murdered Miroku and cast her aside like a used toy and then she had given herself to him like some kind of wanton whore. Where was Sango, where was the strong, resolute woman that she'd spent so many years trying to become?

She was gone, burned to ash and scattered on the wind by the youkai's touch.

Sesshomaru felt her humiliation and smelled the beginning of tears. Quietly, he also sat up and didn't touch her again. It was time for an explanation. Of everything.

"I do not know how humans think or how they feel," he began in a soft, inflectionless voice. "And for most of my life, I have believed I'd never have reason to care."

Her shoulders tightened and he could tell that she was biting back what she wanted to say to him. "My father was always of the opinion that it was best that youkai and humans do not mix, the less contact between them, the better off for us all. He didn't want to waste his time on them, so he said."

Sesshomaru paused, uncertain how to continue. "To a certain extent he didn't have a choice as humans have long inhabited this territory. Within his territory meant that they were under his protection, but he didn't like it very much. He did not allow humans to be hunted or toyed with by demons. It was not out of compassion, more like his desire to not be bothered by the affairs of mortals. Overall, he found them to be somewhat of an annoyance, dirty, uneducated, uncivilized creatures.

"Understanding that, you can imagine my surprise when he told me about the impending birth of my brother."

Sango turned around, wondering why he was telling her this. "He hated humans?" she murmured, a quizzical frown appearing on her forehead.

"No," Sesshomaru answered. "I meant that he didn't care one way or another about them. His father was brutal, hunted humans and other youkai for sport, for pleasure. It was out of hatred for his father that ever Inutaisho protected humans in the first place. Not because he cared for them."

"What about Inuyasha's mother?" Sango asked, curious in spite of herself. She wondered what Inuyasha would say, if he'd listen to his brother's words on the subject or just dismiss

Sesshomaru snorted. "Honestly, I do not know. He died to save her and my brother; he could have easily let them die. It would have been the right thing to do, a very great many people died because of his decision that night. I considered trying to stop him, he was badly injured at the time and I might have succeeded. In the end, I did nothing. I could already see that he had made up his mind to die."

"Why are you telling me about this?" Sango asked. She didn't see how the story of Sesshomaru's father's death had anything to do with her.

Sesshomaru sighed lightly. "Right now, you hate yourself for something you have no control over. As the child within you grows, Sango, you will begin to feel less like a human woman and more like a youkai. You may have already noticed that your senses are changing, sharpening. Your temperament is changing too. You have become more aggressive."

Annoyed, she shifted so she faced him directly. Sesshomaru sat before her calmly, legs folded elegantly and his chin resting on his fist as he regarded her with his unreadable golden eyes. "I know about this," Sango snapped, letting her anger show now. "Jano told me all about it, so nice to hear such personal details of what my body is going through from him instead of the man who should have told me, the man who caused it in the first place."

"You're still angry," he said placidly.

"You're damned right I'm angry," she shouted, her hands digging into her knees as she faced him. It would have looked almost comical to an outsider, they sat face to face, both completely naked and Sango couldn't restrain herself. "Do you know what I've been going through for the past few days?" she raged. "I thought I was losing my mind!"

Sesshomaru didn't react to her words; his expression remained smooth as glass. "You might have. The youki in your child's blood is very strong; it could drive you to insanity, even death. It is a dangerous thing for a human to carry a daiyoukai's offspring. If I am not near, the youki might become out of control and kill both you and the unborn baby."

"And you threw me out knowing that?" Sango demanded. Her eyes were glittering again, the youki was rising. In spite of her anger, the sight of it made him strangely proud. That was an extremely strong child he had fathered for it to assert such dominance over its mother. Sango was barely two weeks into her pregnancy and already she was affected. He was definitely proud.

"Yes," he said, his voice cold again. "You wanted to leave. Would you have stayed if I had explained as such?"

"It's not that simple," she said, grumbling a bit. "You knew what I would face in having this child and you still didn't think enough of me to even ask first. You just went ahead like I had nothing to say. Can't you even begin to comprehend how that makes me feel, or is it just that you don't care."

"You were willing," he said softly. "I seem to recall you were completely in favor of our union and you did not know at the time that I could control whether or not you became with child. If it had happened by pure accident, would you have felt differently? It was only when you realized that your pregnancy was deliberate on your part that you started to speak of your choice in the matter."

Sango flushed. "I was angry because you didn't ask me. If you had, I would have told you that I needed to finish our quest to destroy Naraku first. After that, I would have been pleased to have your child. I would have thought you understood that."

He had, but without the qualification. "So," he said quietly, watching her face. "It was really only a matter of timing that distressed you? That is why it disturbed you that I had not consulted you first, not that you did not wish to become my mate and have our young?"

She studied her fingers, folded tensely in her lap and let her hair hide her eyes. "Yes, that's part of it. I would not have left you for any other reason."

It pleased him more than he wanted to admit to hear her say it. "Very well," he said, calm and resolute. "I will do as you wish." His hand stretched out towards her, his fingers glowing slightly. It would only take the barest flick of power to dislodge the fetus and cause a miscarriage. He would regret it, but it was one way of showing Sango that he meant what he said and was now willing to wait until her vengeance against Naraku had been completed.

Sango sensed the power coming from him and scrambled away from him, both arms wrapped protectively around her midsection. "Are you insane?" she screamed, realizing exactly what he meant to do. "Get away from me, you bastard!"

He stayed his hand. "It is what you wish," he said, watching her face. By the gods themselves, he did not understand her. "Is this not what you want? I thought you just said you wanted to finish your quest before bearing children. I am willing to allow this, if it is what you truly desire. You will feel no pain, there is nothing to fear."

Sango just looked horrified. "What kind of monster would do something like that?" she asked, breathing hard, her eyes wide with fear. "You can't just make all the decisions about this; you can't just erase it like it never happened!"

"Actually, yes, I can."

She shook her head. "No, you can't. You can't do things like that, Sesshomaru. I want this baby, don't you understand? I'm not going to let you take it away from me, not now and not when it's born. The timing isn't right, but this is my baby!"

She confused him, she challenged him and she annoyed him. At least with a youkai woman he might have been able to guess at the way her mind worked. Guess at least, but now he was at a loss. Dropping his hand to his lap, he looked at her impassively.

"What do you want from me, Sango?"

Shivering, she realized once again that the man she loved was no human, didn't think like a human and never would. She rubbed her bare arms, looking desperately into the forest as if answers would appear.

"I don't know," she confessed. "I want to have this baby, but I don't want to go insane either."

"You won't," Sesshomaru answered. "I will not allow it. You are my mate, Sango." When she didn't answer, he frowned. "Are you not my mate then?"

"I need some time to think," she muttered. Right now, she couldn't think, it was all too much. She loved him, didn't she? She wanted Sesshomaru, hadn't she thought about him as she thought she was dying? Didn't she wish for another chance to see him, talk to him? Slowly, she raised her head and looked at him.

"I love you," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "I just can't trust you. I don't want you to hurt me again and I won't let you hurt our baby."

He reached for her, wanting to comfort away that mistrust and pain, but she recoiled in fear. He had caused this, he had done this to himself and silently, Sesshomaru cursed his actions. The woman he wanted as his mate was now in fear of him, mistrustful of his intentions. A barrier had formed between them and now only youki-induced delirium could make her tolerate his touch.

And yet, he would have to touch her, have to be with her or that youki might indeed claim her life. He did not have the option of giving her time and space; he did not have the luxury of trying to rebuild her trust slowly. Even now, he sensed her emotional unrest, the demon energy of his child spiking in return. If she had stayed in the fortress, as a mate should have, they might never have come to this.

He stood swiftly and reached down his hand, asking her to take it. Sango hesitated and squared her jaw and accepted his help. She didn't know what he was going to do, was he going to just leave her, let her find her own way through this curse of a hanyou pregnancy. Would he grieve is she died of it?

Sango gasped suddenly as he caught her hand when she rose, finding herself suddenly tossed over his shoulder as easily if she had been a bundle of leaves. His hand clamped over her thighs, keeping her in place as he turned and walked away from the small clearing.

Angry, Sango slammed her fist into his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"What is necessary," he answered coolly. Sango kept twisting to see where they were going; trying to figure out what the hell Sesshomaru thought he was doing now.

"Put me down!" she demanded,

"In time," he answered. She started to struggle against him then, not so much out of fear but pure stubbornness. She resented being tossed around like a bundle, like an object that had no will of her own. She fought against his hold and suddenly he relaxed his grip and slapped her rear hard with his palm.

"Stop that."

Surprised, she stopped fighting him. Something inside her responded to the authority in his tone and she hesitated. Was it truly the child that was making her so aggressive or was it her own stubbornness at the moment. The tiny hint of instinct that resided inside her was delighting in Sesshomaru's presence, his touch, even his firm hold of her. Still, she couldn't lie quietly, turning to twist over his shoulder and gasped when she realized where he was heading.

"Sesshomaru!"

The water splashed around him as he stepped into the pool. A swift running stream echoed in his ears, rushed energetically over a small set of boulders that had formed a dam of sorts, causing the water to collect away from the current. It wasn't particularly large, merely a few yards wide. But it would suit his purposes just the same.

"My dear wife," he said, hiding a smile. "You need to bathe. I can still smell the blood of all the demons you've battled in your hair and I fear it is quite revolting."

She was insulted. "I washed my hair," she said angrily. It was true; she didn't like the smell of blood either and had done everything possible to clean the sticky mess off her. Kagome had helped her, tending her wounds, but without a hot spring they'd just done the best they could with water heated over a fire. She'd even used Kagome's shampoo and said so.

"I do not care for the smell," he answered as he waded into the deepest part of the water. "It covers your scent unpleasantly. You will wash now."

"This isn't a hot spring," she cried, fighting him again. "That water is ice cold!"

He sighed and reached out his hand, making Sango clutch at him to keep from being dumped into the cold pool. A pulse of energy flowed from his fingers into the water and steam began to rise from its surface. Sango gasped as she felt the warmth rising up from it and pleasantly tickling her feet.

"You need to stop thinking in such a limited human fashion," he said, sounding rather smug and superior. "Youkai are no more fond of ice cold baths than humans. If you were using your mind, you would have realized that."

Annoyed at his condescension, she struggled and this time he let her slide down. She caught her breath as she moved down his chest, very much aware of their nakedness, as her nipples became hard points that rubbed down his body. Sango saw the hint of smile in his eyes as he eased her into the deliciously warm water. Her feet found the ground and the water came to just under her breasts.

It was almost intensely hot and she wondered if she should be concerned for her pregnancy but cool water was still feeding into the pool from the stream. She tipped her head up, looking at the random drops of water that sparkled on his skin. She wanted to lick them away and found her breathing getting faster.

Sango moved closer, her hands touching his skin. "Sesshomaru," she whispered, wanting him to embrace her.

Too late, she saw a gleam of mischief enter his eyes and his hand came down on her head and he ducked her into the water. She came up sputtering and swearing at him only to see Sesshomaru lazily float away from her, diving into the clear pool like a magnificent sea creature. He surfaced, his hair fanning out around him like silver seaweed.

Sango snorted water out of her nose and tried to glare at him. "I suppose you think that was funny."

"I am vastly amused," he said in his dry, emotionless voice. Sango found herself grinning, realizing that those words were as close to an acknowledgment of his hurtful statement when he'd tossed her out of his fortress.

"I amuse you now?" she taunted. He didn't smile and simply slipped under the surface again. Just as she was wondering how long Sesshomaru could hold his breath, she felt a clawed hand on her ankle and found her feet were being yanked out from under her. Burbling helplessly, she stared at him through the clear water, his eyes glowing golden and a wicked little smirk on his lips. She struggled away and stood up; backing away as he also surfaced and kept floating closer to her.

She'd seen him angry and aloof; she'd seen him furious and filled with wrath. She'd seen him turn cold and cruel and also knew him as a tender, gentle lover who read her body with such skill it left her breathless. Sango had never seen him playful before and found it to be the most unsettling experience she'd had yet. She kept backing away from him as he approached.

"Are you trying to drown me?" she demanded. He hesitated, floating near her, his pale skin glowing in the water.

"It is not my intention," he said at last. "But if I should accidentally do so, rest assured I will revive you with Tenseiga."

"What?" she yelled, taking the bait like a fish too hungry to use good sense. "Of all the..."

He dove again and she braced herself but this time he didn't yank her under. He came up behind her instead, his arm wrapping around her waist. He held her tightly against him and she felt his arousal growing and realized that Sesshomaru was quite done with playing. Her spine melted and she tipped her head back against him, agreeing to his desire for her.

"This doesn't change anything," she whispered as want flooded her body again.

"I know," he answered, nibbling on her shoulder. His tongue slipped into her ear and Sango whined. "It changes nothing," he hissed softly as his hand caressed her. "I don't know how to make you understand me, not any more than I can understand you."

"Tell me how to trust you," she panted, his hand had slipped between her legs and found her, probing harder as her legs floated freely up.

"I cannot," he said, his tone was quiet and contemplative, as if his actions weren't making her helpless with pleasure and need. Sango cried out, both hands coming up with clutch at his hair as he bent over her shoulder. "I cannot make you trust me again. I only ask that you trust yourself."

oOo

From the shadows, he watched them and thought that it was best that the youkai was so distracted. If he caught even a hint of his scent, the demon lord would leave his mate and pursue with deadly intent. For once, he had not sent a puppet; he wanted to know for himself if the rumors were true. Watching the couple in the water, he rather thought it true. The exterminator and the youkai lord were indeed mates.

Pitiless crimson eyes watched as Sango pressed her hands against a boulder when her lover entered her, bracing herself against the silky smooth strokes. Her white breasts bobbed out of the steaming water, dark nipples stiffened with her arousal. He smiled as he watched the young woman moved in time to the demon's thrusts, her body arching against his and her feet floating freely in the water.

Sesshomaru's face was unguarded, his eyes half closed as he enjoyed the woman, driving against her with insistent, demanding youkai lust. It amused him to see the arrogant lord made helpless by his desire for a mortal woman. The exterminator who put aside her duty and her training for the pleasure of being used for a demon's sexual needs. Such irony that these two would join to copulate.

Naraku no longer needed to concern himself with desires for flesh. He desired Kikyou once, or at least Onigumo had. Naraku still desired the priestess too, he desired her destruction, wanted to be the one to wring the last throes of pain from her borrowed body. That shell of a form might not answer to torment, but the soul trapped within surely would.

As Sango gasped and cried and wailed when the youkai lord made her come, screaming his name like a brazen whore, Naraku slipped away. He would use this information, this would be fun.

So the demon took a woman, at least enough to spill his seed inside her and sire a child. Naraku had heard that rumor as well; all denizens of the forest had ears and most responded to painful questioning with truth. He had spies in every dark, corrupted hole, every bit of decaying flesh.

That was how he'd heard about Sango and Sesshomaru. He didn't know if the demon loved her, but he could tell, yes, he could tell how Sango felt. Her body was easy to read, her actions and the willingness of her surrender.

Once a foolish priestess had fallen in love with a remarkably stupid hanyou. It had been a pure pleasure to destroy that love, let it corrupt them both into betrayal and anger. Nothing else in over fifty years had given him that kind of satisfaction. Even though Kikyou had found a way to deny him the jewel in her death, he did not forget to relish the pure agony it must have cost her to slay the one she loved so dearly.

If Naraku had anything to say about it, Sango would also experience that beauty, that sheer torment of betrayal, loss, and terror. It made his mouth water, thinking of her devastation when she realized that her lover had betrayed her and her ultimate pain in turning her exterminator skills on the one who fathered her child.

Laughing harshly, Naraku moved to put his plan into action. They really made it all to easy for him sometimes.


	36. ThirtySix

_**Chapter ThirtySix**_

Kohaku suddenly jerked awake, realizing that he'd fallen asleep. For a moment he sat still as a mouse, not recognizing his surroundings and confused by the strange feel of the air around him. Gradually, he remembered that he'd crawled into a storeroom and felt the panic in his blood start to subside.

He must have fallen asleep, much as he'd tried to avoid it. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He'd fallen asleep curled in a tight ball with his back pressed against the cold stone wall. His shoulders ached and he guessed that he'd just been lucky. No nightmares this time.

That was a good thing, Kohaku decided, realizing that he'd needed to sleep even if he'd been avoiding it. The boy stretched his legs and tried to work the kinks out of his sore muscles. He wondered how long he'd slept and if he'd missed dinner. Unhappily, he remembered his conversation with Makiko and thought that he owed the woman an apology for his behavior.

It must have been lack of sleep and the tension that had been ruling his life since his sister had left. He was wrong to treat the kind natured youkai so disrespectfully. Both she and Jano had been gentle with him, considerate and kindly. Makiko deserved more polite behavior from him at the least.

_Kohaku_.

He froze when he heard his name, wondering who was in here with him. It made him nervous; it frightened him that someone might have been watching him sleep. But he couldn't be sure; he listened hard and heard nothing else. Maybe it was just his nerves, his lack of sleep. He might be imagining that someone had just softly called his name.

_Kohaku. Listen to me_.

No mistaking it, he was not alone in the dark storeroom. "Who's there?" the boy whispered. He could remember where the door was and started to creep in that direction.

_Kohaku. I'm here. Listen to me_.

He recognized the voice and that's when he knew that he had completely lost his mind. He hadn't heard that voice in more than two years, not other than in his darkest nightmares. Kohaku closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to get himself under control. "You are not here."

_I am_.

His eyes opened. Something was shimmering in the darkness, growing solid before him, taking a familiar shape. Fighting the panic and doubt, Kohaku shook his head. "You aren't real. You are not my father."

The form was solid now, outlined by a faint glow that lit his features. Kohaku looked into his dead father's eyes and shook his head. "Go away."

"My son," the ghostly figure said, one hand reaching for him. "I have longed to see you."

Kohaku flinched away. "Don't touch me, you aren't real. You aren't my father. My father is dead."

The apparition wavered, seemingly in pain. "You killed me with your own hand. My poor son."

Kohaku was breathing too hard, too hard and too fast. He knew it. Slowly so that his shaking wouldn't be too obvious, he stood up; clinging to the stone wall like it would save him from drowning in his own torment. He couldn't even look at the glowing figure. "Leave me alone," he said, his voice hollow.

His father sighed, sinking to his knees. "My poor son. You have endured so much and it is my fault. I was not there when you needed me most."

The boy just stared at him, disbelieving. "That's not true," he whispered. "I killed you. It was my fault you died."

"Kohaku," his father's voice held the stern authority he remembered so well. "I know the truth. You were not ready, if I hadn't forced you into what you were not prepared for, you wouldn't have been vulnerable to that monster."

His sister had said as much, without criticism, without blame for either him or his father. Sango blamed only Naraku for what had happened to their family. Unfortunately, Kohaku's memories had returned to him with an ultimate, aching clarity. He knew better.

"It wasn't your fault, father," he said quietly. "It was Naraku; you didn't know that he was trying to trap you. I...I was just caught by him. He used me because I was the easiest to control. My weakness was not your fault."

A hand brushed his hair and Kohaku was startled to see his father standing before him. "You are not weak," the apparition whispered. "You were strong, strong to have survived, my son. I am so proud of you."

Kohaku found himself smiling shyly. "Sango said you'd say that if...if you were here."

His father's face wavered again, fading in and out like a flickering candle. "Your sister is right," the ghost told him. "I fear she has been made victim of a similar trap. I do not see her surviving it."

"Trap?" Kohaku had forgotten that he did not trust this vision, not knowing if it was his own imagination or some evil plot. "How is Sango trapped? She's not even here anymore, she's gone."

His father looked grieved and Kohaku grew concerned. A strange feeling was stealing over him, a blissful relaxation, almost euphoria. It was nothing more than relief; he had finally been able to hear his father say the words he needed to hear. Now his father's words were filling him with dread.

"How is Sango trapped?" he wanted to know. "Is she in danger?"

The ghostly figure nodded. "He will kill her."

Kohaku found he was angry, angry that his sister was in danger. "Who? Naraku? Sango won't fall into his traps, she's too smart. And she's got Miroku with her, and Kagome and Inuyasha. They'll be with her. Even Jano is with her to protect her, I heard the maids talking, and they said Sesshomaru-sama sent..."

"She will die at his hand."

His father's voice was so flat, so final. "Sesshomaru-sama?" he asked, timidly. "He was very angry at her, but he wouldn't hurt her. She's...she's going to have a baby."

His father's hands felt warm on his shoulders. "My dear son, your sister is very special, very strong. But she has been lied to, she has been deceived. Sesshomaru never meant for her to live. He will slay her with his own hand."

"But the baby," Kohaku began.

His father's eyes flashed, Kohaku thought he saw a hint of red. "Youkai are not like humans, Kohaku. They do not love their children; they do not love anything but their own power. Your sister was deceived into believing that thing could care for her, that he might return her feelings. I fear she has been foolish with her trust. I can only blame myself. I never taught her to resist such a skillful and devious seduction."

Kohaku shook his head. He didn't want to hear this; he didn't want to think about it. "It's not like that..." Wasn't it? Hadn't Sesshomaru cruelly thrown his sister aside when she went to perform her duty? Kohaku put his hand to his head, it was starting to ache.

"You must rescue your sister, Kohaku."

The boy felt a sudden pain in his chest; it felt like something was squeezing him. "What can I do, father?" he gasped, feeling even more dizzy and ill. "I...I can't protect her, I can't even protect myself."

The ghost of his father wavered briefly, and then became almost solid again. "I will be with you, Kohaku. I will guide you to your sister. You have to leave this fortress. Do not hesitate, you must leave."

The squeezing grew more intense, but Kohaku couldn't help but want to obey his father's words. "But I have to stay," he whispered. "Kagome. She trusted me. She told me to keep the shard safe. It's the last one and I can't..."

"The shard is more valuable that your sister's life?" Kohaku cringed at the scorn in his father's voice.

"Of course not," he said, shamed.

"Then you will take it with you and return it to the priestess. After you have saved your sister. After you have killed Sesshomaru."

He bowed his head. What else could he do? "Yes, father."

oOo

"How the hell," Jano said, his voice dark with suspicion, "do you know Naota?"

"She doesn't know him," Inuyasha said rudely before Kagome could answer. "We just met him once. Said he was my cousin but he smells like a human. And he hates Sesshomaru almost as much as I do."

Jano had to smile at the description. "I don't know about that. What happened between them was a long time ago. Even Naota's anger may have faded."

"I don't care what happened," Inuyasha snarled. "I don't give a damn about him, or Sesshomaru or what you're trying," his voice bent sarcastically, "to tell me about why my brother abandoned me after my mother died."

"You have to be the most stubborn ass I have ever been so unlucky to encounter," Jano said coldly, folding his arms over his chest. He glared at the hanyou. "I'm just trying to explain that you don't know..."

"I fucking know all I need to know," Inuyasha shouted.

"Not everything is about you, you selfish little prick!" Jano yelled.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sango had returned, her hair still hanging wet over her shoulder. Her eyes were wide as she took in the tense confrontation. "Inuyasha, why are you and Jano screaming at each other?"

"Just a difference of opinion," Jano said calmly.

"Fuck you, Jano," Inuyasha grunted. He stared fixedly at Sango for a moment then sniffed the air. His lip curled in distaste. "Guess you and your fucking mate were able to patch things up, huh?"

Sango actually flinched at his tone and Kagome gasped aloud. "Inuyasha," she said, sounding shocked. "Don't talk to her like that!"

The hanyou hadn't stopped glaring accusingly at Sango. "Why not? I guess seeing him almost strangle Miroku must have been a turn on for her. I was feeling sorry for you, Sango, but if you actually get off on the way that son of a bitch treats you, then I guess I won't bother."

"Inuyasha, that's enough," Miroku said. He was still in pain but Kagome's first aid had helped ease the bruises on his neck. The monk stood, leaning on his staff as he crossed the small clearing to stand between Sango and Inuyasha.

"You have not earned the right to judge everyone," the monk said coldly. "What is between Sango and your brother is their business alone and I for one won't stand by and watch you take out your temper on her."

"And the fact that she just fucked the bastard who almost tore your head off doesn't bother you?" Inuyasha asked angrily.

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "If it does, don't you think that's my problem and not yours?"

Inuyasha's face turned dark red with his anger and he opened his mouth as he took a menacing step towards the monk. Kagome jumped to her feet and planted herself between them with her hands coming up to push Inuyasha back.

"Stop it! What's wrong with you? Do you have to attack everyone today?"

She saw an expression of pain flicker in his eyes before they became cold. "You too, Kagome? I guess I'm the only who sees that son of a bitch for what he really is. Don't you get that he can only hurt her?

Kagome met his gaze steadily. "It's Sango's decision, Inuyasha. We can't second guess her heart."

"Sure," he said bitterly. "And when Sesshomaru finally kills her, I'll make sure to remind you about that."

"Inuyasha!"

He hated seeing the hurt in Kagome's eyes; he hated seeing the calmness in Miroku's face and the smug look of Jano's smile. Shippou just sat on the ground, looking frightened and confused. None of them understood it. And he didn't even want to look at Sango. Part of him was so angry with her, the other part was scared he would end up apologizing if he met her eyes now.

Old hurt was making his stomach twist, so many years of fear; loneliness and fury had just built up and now wanted to overflow from him in hurtful words. He didn't want to hurt Sango, or Kagome, but he didn't trust himself to say anything more about it.

"Whatever. Do what you want, like I really give a damn." He turned and stalked off toward the forest. It would just be best to do his thinking on his own, get his thoughts together before he managed to alienate the only friends he'd ever had and make the woman he loved ashamed of him.

"Hey," Kagome called out, reaching for his sleeve.

Gruffly, he pulled away from her before she could latch onto him. "Just leave me alone, Kagome," he muttered. "Stay with Sango, she's the one that needs some sense talked into her."

oOo

"Kohaku-kun?"

Rin edged her way around the doorway, staring at her friend. He was dressed in the strange black clothing she'd seen his sister wear. Sango had brought it with her when she'd come to the fortress. Kohaku had only been wearing a plain yukata when Sesshomaru-sama had brought him, sick and fevered, to Makiko's care. According to Makiko, the clothing had been dirty and worn enough that it hadn't been worth saving. Rin stared as she watched Kohaku unwrap a shiny blade and slip it into his belt.

"What are you doing?" the girl whispered.

He'd wanted to slip away without telling her. In his weeks here, he'd come to regard the young girl as a sister. It would hurt her enough that he'd disappear without telling her why. Telling her that he was on a mission to destroy her beloved Sesshomaru-sama was not something he was prepared to face.

"I have to go, Rin," he said, his voice dull and emotionless. "I can't stay here. My sister needs me."

Rin was confused. She didn't want Kohaku to leave; she hated being left here while Sesshomaru-sama was gone. It was so lonely sometimes, with Kohaku here she felt like there was someone could understand her. He was, after all, human like her.

As nice as the demons of the fortress were to her, not like they had much choice with her guardian being their lord, it had felt good to have someone like her living there. It made her remember when she'd had brothers to play with and a real mother and father. Kohaku had also had these things and could talk with her about it.

And there was more to it than that. Together, they were both under Sesshomaru-sama's protection as his sword had healed them both. And that healing created a powerful bond. Even now, Rin could feel the tingle of Tenseiga so far away. She'd never really thought about it much before, but now, having overheard conversations between Makiko and other members of the household, Rin knew that it made her and Kohaku very special. Alike in their bond to Sesshomaru-sama, something no one else could understand.

"I don't want you to go," Rin said at last. "You're not supposed to, I heard Jano-san say so."

"Jano's not here," he answered bluntly. Kohaku turned and looked at Rin, very serious. "Are you going to try to stop me?"

As if she could. Rin was aware that she was just a little girl and that Kohaku, for all he was a boy, knew more about fighting and defending himself than she ever would. Defiantly, she raised her chin. "I can't stop you. But I can tell Makiko. She'll put the guard to watch over you and you won't even be able to leave your room."

She was prepared for him to be angry with her. Instead, Kohaku's shoulders sagged. It was as if whatever he'd been using for strength had evaporated like mist and the boy fell heavily to his knees. His head was bowed and he looked so utterly dejected that Rin couldn't help herself. She rushed in and put her arms around him.

"Kohaku-kun," she murmured.

His shoulders were shaking as he tried to hold back the sobs. "Don't you understand, Rin? She's all I have left. I've failed her so many times I've lost count. I've done terrible things to her. If I can't save her now..."

She wanted to know why it was so urgent, what made Kohaku think he had to leave now. She couldn't think of what made him crazy to find his sister but she understood how it hurt him, how he needed to be with her. Rin didn't know what to do, but she knew what she should do.

She should go find Makiko immediately and tell her that something was really wrong with Kohaku. His eyes were glazed and his skin seemed hot to the touch. Maybe the fever had come back? But if she did that, he'd hate her. He'd resent her for stopping him from leaving.

What was she supposed to do?

"You won't get far," she said at last, kneeling beside him. Kohaku looked at her. "They'll find out you're missing and they'll pick you up before you get far. Sesshomaru-sama didn't say you could leave. Jano-san's men won't let you leave unless he says it's okay."

"I have to try," he whispered. "You didn't see it, Rin. You didn't see what is going to happen to her if I don't save her."

He was making no sense at all. Then it clicked in her mind. "Did you have a bad dream about your sister? I have bad dreams sometimes, but Makiko says that I just need to think about happier things and they'll go away. Maybe you should..."

"No!"

His voice was so loud it scared her and Rin flinched away from him. Kohaku pulled himself to his feet, looking wretched and miserable. "I have to try anyway, it wasn't...it wasn't just a dream, Rin. I know my sister is in danger...I have to do something about it."

What could he do? Rin thought for a moment and then made a snap decision. It might be wrong, but she was worried and just as Kohaku wanted to go, she also wanted to leave. Rin was tired of being left behind and if she went with him, she could keep an eye on Kohaku herself.

"I'll help you get out of here," she said softly, twisting her fingers in the soft fabric of her kimono. Rin raised her eyes to meet Kohaku's. "I'll help you, but I'm going with you."

He took a deep breath. "No, it's too dangerous, you shouldn't..."

"Neither should you," she shot back. She folded her arms and looked stubborn. "I know how to get to the stables. Ah and Un will do what I tell them. We'll find your sister faster that way."

Kohaku was torn. On the one hand, the young girl was offering him a chance to get to Sango faster than if he went on foot. On the other hand, if she knew what he was really planning, what he was going to have to do when he found Sango, when he found Sesshomaru.

His father had been specific; it was none other than Sesshomaru that he needed to protect his sister from, him and no one else. Rin wouldn't understand and she'd hate him. He would deserve it, but when he tried to tell himself no, the tight ache in his chest increased to an unbearable pressure that wouldn't let him think straight.

He had to give in. He felt defeat closing in on him. "Okay, Rin."

oOo

It had been a long afternoon, Kagome decided.

The sky was turning gold with sunset and Inuyasha still hadn't returned. She knew that he was dealing with some angry feelings that had nothing to do with Sango. Why couldn't he just let it go? It wasn't that she didn't have the same thoughts herself, but she wasn't about to rub Sango's nose in the fact that they all knew Sesshomaru was a cold hearted bastard. It had nothing to do with that fact at all.

After Inuyasha had stormed off in a hanyou fit of temper, Sango had wearily sat down on the ground and covered her face.

"This is my fault," she said softly. She pulled her hands away from her face and looked up at Miroku. He smiled faintly in return but she couldn't stop herself from wincing at the livid marks on his neck.

"Miroku," Sango said, her voice rough with regret. "I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Miroku told her gently.

Sango just looked at the ground between her toes. The truth was that she felt guilty even if he denied it was her fault. "I still feel responsible," she said simply. "I don't know how to ask that you forgive me."

"What is to forgive?" he smiled. Then Miroku's eyes twinkled. "It's hardly the first time a husband has expressed his extreme displeasure with my behavior, Sango. Although I will definitely have to modify my actions when they concern the wife of a certain youkai who has such a well known and predictable bad temper."

She almost smiled, but it faded quickly. Kagome moved quickly to embrace her, burying her face in Sango's shoulder. "Sango," she said softly. "Are you really okay? I didn't want to say anything, but when Miroku came back looking like that...I was worried."

"I was not," Jano said quietly.

Sango looked at him, her face still grave. "I think I'm beginning to understand how you youkai think," she answered. "It's like instinct, but it's more than that."

Jano shrugged. "Not knowing how it feels to be human, I'm not sure I can answer that statement objectively. But yes, it is instinct. And yes, it is more than that. Animals are ruled simply by instinct, but youki doesn't leave much room for logic when it makes demands."

"I haven't been feeling exactly logical these days," Sango answered. She rubbed her hand over her still flat belly. "But I'm barely two weeks pregnant, Jano. Don't you think it is a little soon to be reacting like this? I wouldn't even know I was pregnant if I hadn't been told."

The demon frowned, his arms folded over his chest as he walked around the side to the campfire to stand near where Sango sat. "Hanyou pregnancies are different," he said slowly, not sounding entirely certain. This was not a subject he considered part of his expertise and wished that Makiko were around to confirm the little information he did know.

"Depending on the youki of the child, it might develop quicker than a normal human pregnancy. For example, I know that Inuyasha's mother experienced an unusually quick gestation."

"How quick?" Sango asked, looking alarmed.

"Maybe six months."

"What?" Sango got her feet, her face pale with surprise. "Human pregnancies last nine months!"

"So the lord Daimyo remarked at the time," Jano answered dryly. "The stronger the child, the quicker he or she will develop."

He smiled, a memory flickering in his eyes. "As I recall, the lady Izayoi was every bit as surprised by it as you yourself are. And made some very unflattering comments regarding her child's sire because of the difficulties she endured." He looked thoughtful. "Apparently, the extreme mood swings she experienced during pregnancy were something that she passed on to her son."

Kagome grinned to herself, thinking of those words. Mood swings was putting it mildly. In any case, she was getting tired of waiting for Inuyasha to get over his temper tantrum and come back. Nagging him about it wouldn't do much good, pressuring him to talk about it would probably only result in sullen silence. She would just have to wait until he came back and was ready to talk to her about it.

Still, she felt restless. Like there was something that she was forgetting, something she needed to do.

Jano volunteered to make dinner for them, getting a giggle from Shippou and a slightly dubious look from Sango.

"I can so cook," he said, seemingly offended by their doubtful expressions. "I'll have all of you know that I am very much accustomed to cooking for myself when I'm traveling alone."

The youkai started going through their supplies, selecting and disregarding different items until he had a tidy pile arranged next to their largest cooking pot. The humans were still giving him wary looks when he finished, making him break into a smile.

"I know enough not to poison anyone, so don't look so worried. And don't expect anything fancy, just because it will be edible doesn't mean it's going to be up to Makiko's standards either." He held up a withered looking root and frowned. "In fact, I'll say it definitely won't be up to her standards but it's still better than going hungry."

"Shippou," he said, pointing at the kitsune and making him jump. "Go and gather a little more firewood. Just whatever is lying around should do for this." He pulled out a short, lethal looking blade with a grin and started to peel the roots. "And when you're done, I'll need some water as well."

"I'll get it," Kagome volunteered. It would be good to do something useful instead of just twiddling her thumbs.

She swung the heavy cooking pot from her hand as she went into the forest. She knew that there was a little stream not far from their campsite where she and Sango had tried to wash the bear oni's blood out of the exterminator's hair. The water was clean, but very cold, fed from some underground spring. As close as they were to the mountains, Kagome knew that they'd have been far too lucky to find a hot spring. But it didn't matter right now; as much as she'd love a nice long soak, water for dinner was more of a priority.

Kagome knelt beside the clear little spring and quickly filled the pot. Unfortunately, Jano hadn't said how much water he needed and she decided to fill the pot only a little more than half way, as she knew it was heavy as hell when completely full. No reason to give herself sore arms over dinner.

She had just turned around to go back to the camp when she caught sight of something glowing from the shadows of the underbrush. She caught her breath as the long snake-like creature drifted closer, coming up to her face before streaking away like a ghost.

_Soul collectors_, she thought, her heart starting to beat faster. _Kikyou_.

"Are you there?" she called out softly. Silence answered her and Kagome bit her lip. Maybe Kikyou wasn't looking for her; it was far more likely she'd come to talk to Inuyasha.

Kagome started to move again and the quiet voice stopped her. "I am here," Kikyou said, appearing like mist from the trees.

It was always uncomfortable between them. Kagome never knew exactly what to feel about her, the woman that shared her soul. They should have been as sisters, which would have made more sense. Instead tension defined their relationship. Bitterness and envy.

Kikyou had made it plain on more than one occasion that she considered Kagome to be nothing more than a cheap copy of herself and Kagome's abilities a pale shadow of her own. And to a certain extent, Kagome herself believed that. She would never be the priestess that Kikyou had been; she would never be able to give her life that selflessly.

Kagome liked helping others whenever she could. She believed it to be the right thing to do and felt it her duty in many ways. That was how her mother and grandfather had raised her to be, compassionate and caring. But she was not Kikyou.

She was not a martyr.

"What do you want?" Kagome asked nervously.

Kikyou looked up at the sky, it was slowly darkening. Gold was giving way to rose and rose would purple into evening. Kagome waited, hating the way Kikyou made her feel like the lesser, like in Kikyou's presence she became a shadow of herself. The pale imitation. Pity and resentment mixed inside her when she was with Kikyou. Pity for the tragedy that had taken the priestess' life. Naraku's cruel trickery. Regret for what the priestess must have to endure, in the cold shell of body that was only supported by the stolen souls of others. It was no way to live, Kagome.

It wasn't living at all. It was just...existing.

"Right," Kagome murmured, feeling heat color her face. Heat that Kikyou couldn't feel. She picked up her water bucket and started to move away, her head ducked down as if she feared the woman's wrath.

If Kikyou felt anger, hell if she felt anything, Kagome couldn't be sure, couldn't assume that the priestess had emotions that would mirror her own. Maybe she was only about revenge. Maybe her compassion just didn't extend to reincarnated girls from the future that showed up and stole away with the affection of someone she used to love.

"You think you know him."

Kagome almost dropped her bucket when Kikyou spoke. She turned so quickly that water sloshed over the edge of the bucket and wet her feet. The priestess was looking over her shoulder, a faint, amused smile played at the corners of her mouth. Kagome felt her face burn again and carefully set down the bucket. Her wrists were starting to hurt anyway and she let her arms hang limply at her sides.

She cleared her throat. "What do you mean?"

Kikyou just looked back up at the sky as if she found it fascinating. "You think that you've changed him, you think you've changed his heart. Do not delude yourself. The demon inside Inuyasha is still very much alive."

Did she always have to talk in riddles? Kagome frowned and felt her hands slowly clench into tight little fists. What was she trying to say? "Kikyou," she said, proud of how her voice came out even and smooth. "I'm sorry that you saw us but..."

"That does not concern me," the priestess said coldly. "But it should concern you."

Kagome was tired, very tired suddenly and she was far too tired to deal with one of Kikyou's games. "I've got to go," she said at last. "My friends," and she found there was a cruelty of her own in that word, "are waiting for me."

She bent to pick up the bucket again and felt Kikyou's words slide over her like ice over glass. "You are a fool."

Angry, Kagome looked up, her eyes blazing. "Why?" she demanded. "Because I love him? Because I don't care that Inuyasha is a half demon? I know how you feel about youkai, Kikyou. I don't really blame you. But Inuyasha doesn't have to turn human for me to love him. I want to be with him in any way I can."

"You assume much and understand little," Kikyou said, a caustic tone creeping into her normally calm voice. "You assume that I wanted Inuyasha to use the jewel to become human because I could not abide his demon blood."

"Isn't that that truth?" Kagome asked.

The priestess looked away. "It was not that simple. There was more at stake than just the happiness of two individuals."

"Oh yes, your sacred duty," Kagome said, still angry. "You wanted him to use the jewel to put an end to that as well. Didn't you ever think about how it would make him feel? To think that you were rejecting him for being not human?"

"I knew."

Kagome stared. Was that regret in Kikyou's voice? "You knew? And you let him think that? You let him think that there was something wrong with him when it was you who needed him for your own reasons. That's not the way to treat someone you love!"

Kikyou sighed and looked away. "Everything is so simple for you, isn't it? I did love him; I wanted to be his wife. I didn't care about his demon heritage. But if had given in to those desires, I would have lost my ability to protect the lives of those who depended upon me. That's why I'm warning you, Kagome."

"Warning me?" Kagome was startled. She hadn't known what to expect. Angry accusations perhaps, but not a warning. She couldn't help it; she'd been traveling between her two worlds too long for her to completely accept what Kikyou was telling her. "What are you trying to warn me about? Is it Inuyasha? You won't make me distrust him. Nothing you can say will ever make me turn against him."

The priestess turned away. "No. This is not about Inuyasha. This is about you and the choice you have made. I chose not to marry Inuyasha even though I loved him because as a priestess, a shrine maiden, one must remain pure."

Kagome blushed. She was no priestess; she had taken no sacred vows. If anything, her spiritual abilities had been forced to the surface by circumstance. The life of a shrine maiden was not something she would have chosen if she hadn't been dragged down a well and made to discover her own spiritual gifts. She might have lived her entire life in ignorance, never been the wiser of having been born the reincarnation of a powerful priestess or carrying a mystical jewel in her body.

"So I'm not good enough," she said, feeling the sting of what Kikyou was implying. "That's fine by me, I don't care what your traditions are. If loving someone makes me impure, unworthy to be a priestess in your eyes, I really don't care!"

"Foolish girl, you only think with your heart." Kikyou had turned away and started to withdraw into the forest, her soul collectors following her like long radiant streamers. "A priestess' spiritual strength is tied to her purity, both the purity of her heart and the purity of her body. In becoming Inuyasha's wife, I would have left the jewel open to those who would misuse it. I would have been unable to protect it and you have seen what happens when it is used for evil purposes. I chose to put aside my own desires for the greater good."

Kikyou paused, her face hidden in the long shadows as the sun sank behind the horizon. Kagome stood quite still, letting the implications of Kikyou's warning wash over her in a tide of dark realization. She hadn't considered it before; she'd been consumed by her love for him. It had never occured to her that there might have been a very good reason besides selfishness in Kikyou's actions. It wasn't that she wanted to escape her duty, more that she had no other choice left open to her once she'd fallen in love.

"I see you understand," Kikyou said, watching the girl's face as she absorbed the information. "Had I married Inuyasha, I would have been unable to protect the jewel. I would have become as any other ordinary woman. I would have lost my spiritual abilities."

Kikyou raised her eyes to meet Kagome's. Again, lit by the light of the dying sun, they looked alike. Sisters. Sides of the same coin. One side stamped in hard metal, unyielding. The other soft and weaker than the first, but no less beautiful. And Kikyou's quiet voice continued to echo in Kagome's mind even as the priestess completely disappeared into the darkened forest.

_I would have become as any other ordinary woman. I would have lost my spiritual abilities._

_As you have now lost yours_.


	37. ThirtySeven

_**Chapter ThirtySeven**_

A cool wind whispered through the trees and stirred the demon lord's hair as he walked through the forest. His mind was still focused on his mate. His beautiful, brave human woman. Until he'd actually seen her with another man touching her, he hadn't realized how powerful his feelings had become. Sesshomaru wasn't inclined to dwell on his emotions.

As a youkai he was a practical creature, focused on the here and now. He was not an introspective man.

That didn't mean that he didn't have powerful instincts of his own. Anger like he'd never dreamed when he'd seen the monk kissing his mate, his youki had flared to life in an incandescent fury. _Mine_, it screamed. _My mate, my child, mine! _It demanded that he seize the pathetic human by this throat and throttle him for daring to touch what belonged to a demon lord.

He was still astonished that he'd let Miroku live.

No, he had been a fool. He had sent her away from him with hurtful words, as if everything they had said and done had never happened. He had been insulted that she cared more for her duty than for being his mate. It was his own fault that he now looked into her eyes and saw her distrust. Through ignorance, through pride, he had damaged something that was unique. In time he would take back what he had so thoughtlessly cast aside.

Sesshomaru smiled to himself, remembering her response to his touch. The fire of her youki-induced lust had been amazing. Sango continued to surprise him with her passion. Such a quiet woman, he liked that about her, the way she so carefully thought out everything she said. Usually women's talk was no more than meaningless babble to him, the prattling of vapid minds. At least that had been his experience with most of the highborn youkai females of the court.

Sango was different. Despite her human heritage she displayed a quick intellect and a wry wit that attracted him every bit as much as her loveliness. Combined with her skill in battle, she was an intoxicating temptation he could not resist. It amused him how easily he'd managed to put aside his irritation at her defiance. A daiyoukai grew accustomed to instant obedience from lesser demons; he had been unprepared to navigate the unknown waters of a human woman's mind and heart.

And he liked the fact that she didn't instantly bend to his will. He liked that she hadn't simply acquiesced to his demands.

She intrigued him; she challenged him and infuriated him. And he loved every minute of it and found his desire for her increasing with each passing second they were parted. Not that they would be parted for long, he had an obligation, a delicious obligation to soothe the demon blood that was increasing in her body.

Sesshomaru stopped, his senses instantly alert to something amiss in the forest. The scent of blood was thick in the air and it was blood that was known to him. He moved swiftly, following the scent while the pulse of anger built in his heart. He couldn't tell from the scent if the demon was still alive or just recently deceased.

_Either way_, he thought grimly, it does not matter. _Tenseiga will not fail me_.

The demon lord dropped lightly to the ground. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in slightly in anger and he carefully sniffed at the air, wanting to be sure that whatever had done this wasn't still in the area. It was not unheard of for traps to be laid as such, to leave a dead body out to attract your prey. He wasn't about to take the bait if that was the case. His father would be ashamed of him for falling for as simple a trick as that.

It seemed not to be the case. The youkai in front of him was badly wounded, but still breathing on his own and he could not detect the scent of the attacker in the air. Slowly, he approached, going to stand before the bleeding demon and speak to him in a voice that sounded icy in its indifference. In truth, Sesshomaru was neither cold nor indifferent to the situation at hand.

However, Barou would already know that.

"Are you able to move?"

Barou started at the sound of his cousin's voice, his eyes opened and he slowly lifted his head. Sesshomaru made no comment at the ravaging burns that covered the demon's face. Barou sighed heavily, relieved to see his cousin and not his attacker. "I can move."

"What happened?"

Barou smiled faintly, he was lucky to have escaped with his life, was now badly wounded and in considerable pain. And Sesshomaru wanted a report. Some things never changed. With a slight groan, he got to his feet. Sesshomaru's expression didn't flicker, but he saw that Barou's body was cut all over; long ragged claws marks had torn through his clothing.

"I was attacked, my lord," Barou told him, swaying slightly but otherwise holding his own. "I was coming back to the fortress to give you my report when it found me. I am embarrassed, my lord. I never felt his presence."

Barou staggered and Sesshomaru's arm shot to steady him. Carefully, he forced Barou back to the ground and knelt next to him. "What was it, Barou? Was it inuyoukai?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Barou told him, his voice tired. "I fought him, but I was trying to run from him at the same time. He didn't speak to me, but I could feel his mind trying to invade my own the entire time. I could feel his hunger for my blood, his insanity, and the darkness was overwhelming."

"You fought him off," Sesshomaru prompted. "How?" His loyal cousin was exhausted, but this was too important. He needed details, any that Barou could provide. Then he'd take him back to the fortress and make sure he healed from his wounds. After that, he'd hunt down the one responsible. It was time for vengeance; he could taste it in the air.

"I didn't fight him off, Sessh," Barou said quietly, too tired to remain formal with the man he'd known for years. "He wasn't in a hurry to kill me, so he took his time. Letting me run away, then hunting me down and striking without warning. I swear he was laughing at me, but every time I tried to look into his face..."

Barou's voice trailed off, his eyes closing. Sesshomaru gave his cousin a slight shake, a quick grip to his shoulder and Barou's eyes opened again. "Every time you tried to look into his face," Sesshomaru repeated.

The clanlord blinked, trying to focus his eyes. "It hurt," he whispered. "It was like something came at me, some kind of dark horror. I don't even think he was doing it on purpose. All I could see were his eyes. Like black flames and madness."

"The monster is insane," Sesshomaru said quietly. It was as he suspected. Whatever Naraku had created, it was not perfected by any means. It was incomplete, misguided and lost, a raging terror set loose without control. How very like Naraku.

"I must take you back to the fortress," the youkai lord said at last. Sesshomaru stood, preparing to help Barou up again, but to his surprise, the other demon resisted.

"You don't have time, Sessh," Barou said urgently, seeming to grow stronger now that he'd managed to speak of the horror that had almost befallen him.

"What do you mean?"

Barou looked grim, his burned cheeks dark with oozing blood. "He was about to kill me, whatever he was. And someone came to stop him. It said to leave me be, there was other work that needed doing."

Sesshomaru inexplicably felt a cold chill rising up his spine. He rarely felt any kind of fear, but this sensation had the hint of dread. He could well guess who had appeared to lure the monster away. None other than its creator.

"He wore some kind of pelt so I didn't see his face," Barou continued, not noticing Sesshomaru's reflective expression. "The wild demon didn't want to go with him, but the other insisted that I was worthless, not his target. He said there was more pleasant game to be found in the forest."

The dread was increasing and Sesshomaru sat perfectly still. More pleasant? Game? What was Naraku working at, what were his true intentions? "Barou," he said at last. "You said you were coming to report to me before you were attacked. What did you find?"

"I was coming to tell you that the monster was making for the fortress," Barou said, his voice hitching briefly in pain. He reached up and gingerly touched his face. The crazed inuyoukai had attacked him with claws, long black claws that reeked of poison. And then he'd struck him with a fiery blast of energy, one that smelled of sulfur and ate into his skin like acid.

"I was wrong," Barou said softly. "He's not after you anymore. I'm guessing that whatever had made the fortress an attractive target is gone. I heard him instructing the monster to head south instead of west and wait. I don't know what is in the forest that he'd find so interesting."

Sesshomaru knew. He knew it had been a mistake to let her leave with the others, especially in the company of his fool of a brother. Of course Naraku had been waiting for them to leave the fortress. Why else would he have sent his puppet to throw the wolf demon down like a challenge? Why else direct his creation to attack human villages? He was goading Inuyasha into leaving the fortress, to take his small band of companions into the forest where they were easy prey for a nightstalking horror that could undo a youkai of even Barou's strength.

"Can you make it back without assistance?" he asked his injured cousin in a voice that was frozen with a lack of emotion.

"Yes," Barou answered. "I can if I move slowly." He looked up at Sesshomaru, unsurprised that he wasn't going to take him back to the safety of the fortress. "You're going after it, aren't you?"

Sesshomaru raised his eyes to the sky. In the company of his stupid hanyou brother, a rather naive priestess, and a lecherous excuse for a monk, his pregnant mate was walking right into a trap. At least he'd had the foresight to send Jano to watch over her.

But it was not Jano's mate who was in danger. It was his. Without another word to Barou, Sesshomaru disappeared into the forest, moving so quickly that even Barou could barely see him go.

Sighing, the clanlord leaned back against the tree. He needed to rest before trying to make his way back to safety. Again, he felt the scorch marks on his face. They stung, but they would heal and probably not even scar. The smell was hauntingly familiar, which struck him as odd. Not very many youkai were known for having toxic, corrosive youki at their disposal. It was a rare trait and hereditary.

In fact, the only two he'd ever known to use such powers were Sesshomaru and his father, Inutaisho. Puzzling.

Then, thinking on the subject of his lord's family, Barou suddenly groaned and decided to make his way as quick as possible to the fortress. Not only for getting help with his injuries, he wanted to be conscious when Sesshomaru returned.

"Damn you, Sessh," Barou muttered as he started to walk. "You didn't give me a chance to tell you about Naota."

oOo

Kohaku held onto Rin's waist for dear life and hoped that the young girl knew what she was doing. The wind was tearing through his hair and beneath them the trees moved at a completely nauseating speed. It brought back memories of the times that Kagura had transported him on her feather, although usually those memories were dim and hazy. Under Naraku's control, he had felt a kind of bliss, fatefulness as he'd flown through the air like a helplessly doomed bird.

Now his legs tried to clench convulsively on the demi-dragon's back. Rin didn't seem to have any problem keeping her balance, holding the great creature's reins with an airy lack of concern. The dragon's back was too wide for him to feel secure, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get used to it.

"Do you know where you're going?" he shouted over the wind.

Rin didn't look back. "Of course not," she answered cheerfully. "I don't know where your sister is. You just said head south, so we're heading south."

_Great_, Kohaku thought and forced himself to not look down again. They could fly right over Sango and her friends and never know it. All he knew was what he'd overheard from Jano talking to the guards. He'd said that Inuyasha wanted to find the village that the wolf demon said had been destroyed. It was somewhat south and somewhat west but of course he didn't know the exact location. He knew about how far Sango could have traveled in a few days time. That was all they had to go on.

"Maybe we should go down," he shouted in Rin's ear. Oh please, gods, let's get back on the ground.

"Okay!" the girl shouted back at him. He didn't know what she did but the demi-dragon started to descend. Kohaku's stomach was deeply grateful and he was particularly glad he hadn't embarrassed himself by throwing up all over her.

Ah Un touched down gently in a small clearing. Now that he was safely on the ground again, Kohaku felt despair creeping over him. How was he to find Sango in time? His father's ghost had seemed to think she was in immediate danger. When would Sesshomaru strike? Would he attempt to gain Sango's trust again or would he just sneak up on her in the night? Why had he ever trusted a youkai? His father had taught them both better than that!

Rin turned back to face him as the demi-dragon started his slow, lumbering walk. "Maybe we should try to find that village first?" she suggested brightly. "Sango-sama and her friends might be there."

Kohaku shrugged. "I guess we could try."

She looked at him seriously, her small hands folded in her lap. "Kohaku-kun, please don't worry. She will be fine. Sesshomaru-sama would never let anything bad happen to his mate."

He shivered, ashamed of what he was keeping from her. What would Rin say if she knew it was Sesshomaru-sama he had to protect his sister from? The girl would be heartbroken at the betrayal of her adored guardian.

"Rin," he said at last. "Why did Sesshomaru-sama save you? As a pure youkai, I didn't think he cared if humans lived or died. But he saved you with Tenseiga and keeps you with him. I don't understand."

The girl blinked at him. Although she had wondered about the subject much herself over the past two years, no one had ever asked her. "Rin isn't sure," she said, reverting to the childlike way of speaking that she adopted when she was troubled.

"When I first saw Sesshomaru-sama, he was injured and unable to move. I wanted to help him."

"Why?" the boy persisted. "Why would you want to help a demon, Rin? Weren't you scared of him at all?"

She swallowed. "Yes," she said in a tiny voice. "I was scared, but I was curious too. He was so pretty, I knew he was a demon but I couldn't stop myself from trying to help him. I ...didn't have anyone else to take care of, Kohaku. I was all alone."

_Strange_, he thought, _that an orphaned human girl would try to adopt a powerful youkai. Simply because she found him pretty_. "That was dangerous," he said.

She nodded. "He told me to go away, he didn't want my help. I didn't care; I kept trying to bring him things anyway. The people in the village weren't kind to me. I guess I was just lonely."

It made a strange kind of sense, a little girl that was cast out by humans, finding a youkai in the forest that she wanted to save. How lonely she must have been to do that. Kohaku understood loneliness. He understood being the outsider. What she couldn't have known, and still didn't know, was that Sesshomaru couldn't return her feelings. Kohaku felt sure that the youkai lord couldn't really care about Rin. He wasn't capable of feeling love or affection.

Whatever had moved Sesshomaru to save the little girl, he couldn't be sure. He didn't know how youkai felt or what would move a cold demon to such an act of mercy. Maybe one day he'd turn on Rin as well, as he had turned on Sango. Maybe because they were only humans and not worthy of his emotions in the first place.

"Rin, let's stop," he said suddenly.

The girl put her hand on one of the sinuous necks and clucked her tongue. The demi-dragon stopped immediately, turning to nudge her affectionately with one of its great heads. The other dropped to the ground and started rooting around for something edible in the tall grasses. Kohaku heard a tiny squeak and then the placid sound of chomping jaws. Flying must be hungry work.

He slid off the side of the tall back and looked up at her. "I think I should go alone from here," he said in a voice that asked for no argument.

"Why?" she wanted to know, dropping into the tall grass beside him. "We still need to find..."

"I'll find her on my own," he said coldly. He wasn't ready to see Rin be betrayed. Whatever Sesshomaru planned on doing to Sango, he was sure he didn't want Rin to know about it. And if Kohaku had to fight to defend his sister's life, he didn't think he could do it with Rin looking on.

"Kohaku," she said, her voice pleading. "You need my help."

"No, I don't." He saw hurt in her enormous eyes and felt hideously guilty. "Look," he said lamely. "I don't want you to get in trouble. Sesshomaru-sama will be angry that you left the fortress without his permission. You should go back before he finds out."

She just looked at him. "He'll find out anyway," she said, her voice stubborn. "Jaken will tell him, or Makiko. They've probably found out we're missing and are looking for us now. It won't hurt if I come with you."

"And," she added importantly. "Ah Un can protect us. They'd never let anything happen to me so we will be useful!"

"I don't want you to come with me!" he snapped. If the only way to make her go were to make her angry, he would have to do it. "I'm a demon slayer, Rin. I can take care of myself. I don't need a little girl tagging along."

Her eyes filled with tears. "But Kohaku..."

"I said go home! Go back to the fortress and stay there, Rin! I don't need you."

He turned and stomped away, feeling her eyes burning holes in his back. "Fine!" she screamed, her voice full of wounds that he had caused. "I don't need you either!"

Kohaku flinched when he heard her start crying and steeled himself against it. Better that she's angry, better that she's hurt now instead of later when I have to confront him. I don't want her to see me when I have to fight him.

Rin continued to cry for a few moments, wetting the dragon's hide with her tears. Stupid boy, she thought. He thinks that he's the only one that can do anything. It was just like at the fortress, when Makiko wouldn't let her do what she wanted. It was just like when Jaken kept her from following Sesshomaru-sama.

He doesn't need a silly little girl following him around!

The toad's words came back to her and Rin felt tiniest bit of resentment building inside her heart. Stupid Jaken. Stupid Kohaku. They both thought that she couldn't do anything. That she was just a useless little kid.

Well, Jaken wasn't here right now and neither was Makiko. She could do what she wanted and Rin was going to do just that.

"Go home," she whispered to the demi-dragon. AhUn's left head gave her a doubtful look while the right head nosed her feet. She patted them both evenly, knowing that he liked it when she gave both sets of heads equal attention.

"You go home, Ah Un. I'm going to follow Kohaku myself."

oOo

Inuyasha sat in a tree and sulked. At least that's what Kagome would call it, he was pretty sure. He just needed some time to think, some time by himself, and now that he'd had it he wasn't sure they weren't all too right about him.

He was being an asshole.

His ears flattened on his head when he admitted it to himself and he was tempted to try and convince himself he should still be angry. He was right, wasn't he? Sango was being an idiot by screwing Sesshomaru again, just like she'd been an idiot to do it the first time. He'd honestly thought that affair would have been dead a long time ago. After all, who better than to judge what kind of bastard Sesshomaru really was than his own brother?

But the more he thought about it, the worse he started to feel. He had a problem with Sesshomaru, but it was Sango who'd born the brunt of his anger. If he should be cursing out anyone it was his brother, not the woman who'd fought beside him for years and risked her life for his more times than he cared to count.

Same for Miroku. The monk had always been easy going, difficult to anger. But he'd seen real disgust in Miroku's eyes when he'd let his tongue loose on Sango for her indiscretions. Hell, the monk should be every bit as pissed as he was, why didn't he snap and lash out? He was the one who'd almost had his head torn off, not Inuyasha.

Maybe Miroku was just more mature about some things. For a lecherous bastard, he sure seemed to be able to put his own feelings aside, even after an attack like that. Inuyasha knew he wouldn't have been able to do the same. He would have shoved Sango to the side and run off after Sesshomaru's blood. That prick really deserved a trip down Miroku's wind tunnel for what he'd done to Sango.

_And what about you_, a little voice in his mind said. _You probably deserve worse than that. Why don't you admit what's really bothering you?_

It sounded suspiciously like something Kagome would say. He even gave a quick glance down at the ground to make sure it actually hadn't been her. Nothing was there and he sat back feeling a little disappointed. He wanted to talk to Kagome about it; sometimes talking to her was the only thing that could help him make sense of things. He needed her to listen to him, talk to him, hold his hands with her tiny ones and smile at him. Then he'd know that everything was really all right and he didn't have to be angry.

She'd always been able to do that for him. Was that what love meant? He'd thought he'd loved Kikyou once, been confused by the way she made him feel. She'd offered him a chance to give up on being an outsider, become a human and her husband. Now he wondered if either of them would have been happy. That dreamed of life seemed a long time ago.

That's because it was a long time ago, idiot, he told himself. Remember the bastard that stole it from you. He's still out there, playing his games. You don't have time to worry about what your stupid brother is doing. If Sango wants to keep screwing him after what he pulled back at the fortress, that's her problem. Not yours. If she's stupid enough to really love him...

Could Sesshomaru even love her back? Inuyasha scratched his head and thought about it. Love was something he associated with humans, human feelings, and human emotions. He could feel them, but he was half human. Sesshomaru was pure youkai, what did he feel about her? It had to be more than just sex or he wouldn't have called her his mate in the first place. He definitely wouldn't have wanted her to have his child if he was just fucking her.

_That's what really bothers you, isn't it Inuyasha?_ The Kagome-voice was talking to him again and he growled in the back of his throat.

What do I care if he has a damn kid, he thought sullenly.

_Because the baby is going to be a hanyou_, the Kagome-voice said reasonably. _If Sesshomaru thinks enough of Sango to have a baby with her, it means that he doesn't hate humans as much as he's always said he did_.

Inuyasha scowled, folding his arms over his chest and one foot kicking restlessly at the leaves of the tree he sat in. He didn't like where the little voice was going with this one.

_Maybe it was just you that he really hated_.

"I don't care what that bastard thinks of me," he snarled at last, angry enough to speak out loud.

_Don't you?_

"No."

_Liar_.

_Enough of this shit_, Inuyasha thought in disgust. It was giving him a headache. And he didn't want to think about his brother anymore. It didn't matter, it was in the past. It was over a long, long time ago. He hadn't needed Sesshomaru to take care of him. His brother's unlove, never mind his active hatred, had defined their relationship and he sure as hell didn't want to start trying to think of him in any other way now.

Inuyasha jumped down from his branch and started back to the camp. He wasn't going to be a bastard like Sesshomaru; he had learned a couple things over the years. He'd learned them from Kagome, Miroku, and Sango. Sometimes Shippou even. He had learned that when you do or say something stupid and hurt people who didn't deserve it, you should say you're sorry. And if you meant it when you said it, you might even feel better.

He had to apologize to them.

Ears drooping, Inuyasha made his way back to his friends. Hopefully they were still speaking to him, he didn't know what he'd do if they didn't accept the apology. In his heart, he knew they would, but the fear of rejection he'd carried all his life wasn't easy to shake. Firmly, he resolved to do better. Sango and Miroku had stood by him through the worst moments of his life. They deserved as much from him.

But there was no way in hell he was apologizing to Jano. Hell. No.

When he reached the camp, he stopped and sniffed the air. Something was wrong here, terribly wrong. Miroku and Sango were sitting on the ground, each of them holding a bowl in their hands. Their faces were pale and slightly green, both the monk and the exterminator looked like they'd been given their last meals and were not expecting to see the sunrise.

Jano was standing next to the fire, a large spoon in one hand and a desolate expression on his normally jovial face.

"Oh come on," the inuyoukai said, a pleading note in his voice that Inuyasha had never heard before. "You have to at least try it!"

Miroku swallowed hard and reached up to tenderly touch the bruised skin around his throat. "I do apologize, Jano-san," he said, managing to sound regretful if not sincere. "I fear my throat is still quite swollen. Your...stew...is most tempting but I dare not try to eat just yet."

Inuyasha didn't miss the suspicious look that Sango gave the monk or the way that her mouth had tightened until her lips were almost white. Jano gave her a hopeful look. "How about you, Sango?"

"I'm not really hungry right now," she murmured. Inuyasha stared hard at her; he could swear the exterminator was trying very hard not to inhale through her nose. Experimentally, he sniffed the air. He'd smelled something like that before, but he couldn't quite place it. _Definitely not noodles_, he decided.

Jano wasn't giving up easily. "It's very nutritious," he said in a wheedling voice. "I know it's not quite like human stew, but I swear it's good for your baby."

Pressured, Sango took a deep breath through her mouth. "Very well, Jano-san," she said bravely. "If you say so, I will try it."

Inuyasha's mouth dropped open slightly as Sango lifted a bite of steaming, not quite edible looking stew to her lips and took a tiny taste. Her face instantly flushed, then paled, then flushed again and she dropped the bowl on the ground and scrambled for the bushes.

Jano looked absolutely crushed. With a downcast face, he went to pick up the remains of Miroku and Sango's rejected meals. Inuyasha stared at the faintly greenish glop that had spilled on the ground. Was it food or not? His nose wasn't giving him any help either way.

Miroku smiled and tried to console the unhappy inuyoukai. "I'm sure it's not your cooking," he said mildly. "Pregnant women have delicate stomachs, perhaps Sango has not yet adjusted to what she can tolerate."

"She's been throwing up a lot lately," Shippou put in brightly. "Since she's been sick, she probably would have thrown up your stew even if it tasted really good!"

"You're not helping," Miroku told him. "If you want to make him feel better, you can eat it. I haven't seen you asking for a bowl, Shippou."

The kitsune looked nervous. "I'm not hungry."

Inuyasha snorted. "Since when?" he demanded. "You're a bottomless pit."

"Takes one to know one," Shippou answered snidely. "Hey, you can eat it, Inuyasha!"

The hanyou flattened his ears on his head. "I'm not eating anything he made!"

Jano glared at him. "Believe me, I know how to poison people. As a matter of fact, I'm really good at it. If I chose to poison you, Inuyasha, it wouldn't be an accident!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Inuyasha muttered. He found a bowl was suddenly shoved in his hands and Jano was scowling in a decidedly threatening manner.

"Then try it. Unless you're too scared."

He couldn't back down from a challenge, not even if it meant his life. And in this case, there was more than his life at stake. Inuyasha did not relish the idea of joining Sango in the bushes. With a growl, he grabbed the bowl that had been shoved at him and downed most of the contents in one big swallow.

Miroku and Shippou stared at him in awe as he stood waiting for something awful to happen. He licked his lips and blinked in surprise. It wasn't that bad, in fact, it tasted pretty damned good. Grinning, he shoveled the rest of the stew into his mouth and then held out the bowl. "More," he demanded.

"Are you insane?" Miroku burst out. "That stuff smells like vomit!"

"I thought your throat hurt, houshi," Jano said suspiciously. Miroku blushed and muttered something about his sense of smell being off due to his damaged throat. Jano looked like he didn't buy it for a minute.

"I'm serious," Inuyasha said, sounding enthusiastic. "It smells a little sick, but once you get used to it, it tastes pretty damn good!"

"Better than noodles?" Shippou asked.

Well, he wouldn't go that far. "Nah, but it's better than the crap that Miroku usually makes."

"I don't have to sit here and be insulted," the monk grumbled.

"Not when you can sit and eat," Jano growled. He put a fresh bowl in front of Miroku and squatted down to watch him. "Eat it," he ordered, flexing his claws. "If it kills you, I will personally see that you get an honorable burial."

oOo

Kohaku pushed his way through the forest, struggling against the thick underbrush. He was sweating heavily although the air was quite cool. He told himself that he'd been lazy; he hadn't been training or even trying to train since he'd been freed from Naraku. He was just getting soft that was all.

Father would be ashamed of him.

He'd never wanted to be a demon exterminator, never mind that it was the family vocation. He'd always felt like he had no choice, but he didn't want to let his father and Sango down either. It was so important for them and they were both so good at it. It seemed like they expected him to be good at it too.

His mother had died giving birth to him. Kohaku had never known her face, her voice, but father always said that Sango looked just like her. She had also been a strong fighter, but she had a difficult time bearing her children. Once, he had overheard one of his aunts talking to another, saying how his mother had suffered several miscarriages between his and Sango's births. Boys weren't supposed to know about such things and he'd blushed hard at the idea that anyone might find out he knew.

It was his fault she'd died, his birth that had killed her. It seemed sometimes to Kohaku that he was always going to be associated with death and dying. Even being born into the world, he had taken a life. Then he'd felt like he was letting them down by not being good enough, not as fast or as strong as they were. Even when he trained as hard as he knew how, trained until his clothing stuck to his body with sweat, he'd wondered if he'd ever be good at anything.

Then Naraku had taken him.

And then suddenly he was good at something, far too good. His hands were steady on the blade when he couldn't feel fear, didn't understand remorse. Everything he loved or cared about was stripped away, torn out of his heart by sharp claws. Without emotions or memories to hold him back, he became death itself. Naraku forced him to kill, over and over and over, forced him to like it, to feel a thrill when the blade struck home and marvel at the perfection of his aim.

It was a blissful thing, to not have a conscience. He became the blade, became the blood, and became the chain that threw his prey to their knees. Over and over, it never ended. He just did as he was told, no, it was more than that. He was the tool, only the tool that Naraku used to execute his prey. Tools didn't have to think, weapons didn't have to cry themselves to sleep. The blade felt no pity, no whisper of love. It was only what it was and what it was used to do.

Then he'd seen her face. And the blade had started to crack. The steel had weak points, corrosive rust of memory ate at the polished surface and Kohaku started to remember. At first he didn't know why, he was too scared to even think of it. So he'd held her face in a secret place of his heart, a place that even Naraku didn't know about. He went about Naraku's business as he was told, performed as the perfect, mindless tool.

It was the only way he could protect Sango, to pretend she didn't exist.

That didn't work anymore. He had to be better, be stronger. There was no way he was going to let her die or ever be hurt again.

His father's voice whispered in his mind, calling his name and guiding him. He stopped and closed his eyes, breathing hard, his heart pounding in his chest. If only it wasn't so hot, if only he could just rest for a bit. But he didn't have time to rest.

Kohaku changed direction and plunged into thorny bushes, not caring if he was scratched. He hacked at the thick brush with his blade, determined to tear his way through. Just a few more steps, he told himself and the voice in the back of his mind urged him on. His sister wasn't far, he could feel it.

Stumbling, he finally freed himself from the brush and looked around in surprise. There was small clearing in the forest, almost if it had been prepared for him to find it. Kohaku blinked in pure confusion, wiping his sweaty face with the back of his fist. He'd been sure Sango was here somewhere, the voice had been so sure. He'd felt the magnetic pull of her presence, the image of her burning ever brighter in his mind. Why had it brought him here, if there was no Sango for him to find?

"Kohaku."

That voice was not in his head. For all he was unbearably hot, Kohaku felt his spine go cold in dread. He didn't want to do this, not right now. He just wanted to find his sister and look at her face, know that she was all right. That was all he wanted.

He turned slowly, his eyes on the ground. The voice was low, soft and cool, irresistible and fatal as the blade that hung loosely in his hand. He raised his chin and looked the demon in the eye.

Sesshomaru smiled at him, a cruel twist to his mouth. "Have you been looking for me, Kohaku?"


	38. ThirtyEight

_**Chapter ThirtyEight**_

_Many, many years in the past_...

"My father is dead."

Naota closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. He'd felt and known that Inutaisho had passed from this world, but still the human portion of his heart had tried to deny it. Born of a full demon mother and Inutaisho's own hanyou brother, Naota was unique in many ways. Despite his three quarter demon blood he looked like an ordinary human, no fangs, no claws, no demon aura to signal his heritage. Youkai didn't grieve. Demons didn't shed tears for the dead.

But Naota did.

His cousin had just calmly acknowledged the death of his own father with hardly more emotion than he'd spare for discussing the weather. Standing silently nearby, Jano and Namichi made no comment either. Naota felt the hot tears streaking his face and stubbornly refused to wipe them away or feel ashamed of them. If the three youkai who stood in the room with him couldn't mourn for the man who'd been so much to them for all their lives, he would himself shed the tears they denied.

"Are you sure, Sessh?" Namichi asked quietly.

"Of course."

Sesshomaru turned away from them, suddenly appearing very interested in the texture of the stone wall. "We do not have much time," he said. "We must move quickly to secure the territory."

Jano nodded sharply, agreeing with their new lord. _Of course Sesshomaru would think of that first_, Naota decided bitterly. He'd been waiting for this chance for years, to step out of his father's shadow and prove to everyone, clanlords and vassals alike, that he was every bit the leader Inutaisho had been. The relationship between father and son had never been close, but in recent years it had become somewhat strained.

In recent months it had become more than just strained. It had become antagonistic to the point that Naota hated being the same room with the both of them. The shouting was mainly on Inutaisho's part; the bitter sarcasm belonged to Sesshomaru. Now and then he'd think they were ready to come to blows over it and Naota had given up a long time ago on the idea of trying to make peace between them.

Inutaisho was critical, sometimes harshly, unnecessarily critical of everything Sesshomaru did. Sometimes Naota had wondered if the Daimyo could ever see his now adult son as anything other than a child. You didn't contradict Inutaisho, you didn't challenge him. And his own cold, emotionless way, Sesshomaru always did just that every chance he got. It was a contest of wills, it was a continuing family drama, and it was a hellish fight looking to happen.

It was just the way it had always been.

"How did he die?" Naota asked, suddenly needing to know. He knew that Inutaisho had been challenged by a dragon-youkai and knew that he'd taken a bad wound. But youkai didn't just die of bad wounds. Death usually needed utter destruction, either of the body or of the soul. And daiyoukai on Inutaisho and Sesshomaru's level didn't just break easily. He needed to know.

Sesshomaru's lip curled in a sneer, unusual for him to show much expression at all. Naota rather thought it was a sign that his cousin was more affected than he cared admit.

"He fell defending that woman. What a fool to die at the hands of humans."

Namichi gave a soft gasp at the bitter recrimination in Sesshomaru's tone. "That can't be," she murmured, glancing at Jano with her large, copper colored eyes. "The Daimyo wouldn't fall to a human in battle. It's impossible."

"It was his decision," Sesshomaru answered coldly. With a sweeping movement, he gestured outside, where sunset was fading into twilight over the valley. "He chose to die in such an inglorious way. He knew he was badly injured. Yet like an impetuous fool he chose to go to that mortal instead of returning to the fortress."

Naota flushed, angry at his cousin's cold, factual dismissal of Inutaisho's decision. "He couldn't just abandon her, Sessh!"

Sesshomaru whirled around, backing his hanyou cousin against the wall with his claws. "And why not?" he sneered. "Because he loved her? I thought you knew him better than that, Naota. If he chose to sacrifice his life that way, we are all better rid of him."

"You don't mean that," Naota said through clenched teeth.

"Don't I?" Sesshomaru whispered. "I would never be such a weakling that I would find myself sacrificing everything for a pregnant human bitch!"

"Hey," Jano said, slipping between the angry cousins. "Like you said, Sessh, we don't have time for this. Once the word gets out that the Daimyo is dead, every enemy he ever made is going to come clawing for a piece of this territory. If we don't hold it together..."

"If I don't hold it together, you mean," Sesshomaru answered caustically. "The only chance we have of avoiding a civil war among the clanlords of the West is for me to step in. They'll tear each other to pieces and be easy prey for any invaders. My father couldn't have chosen a more inopportune time to die."

"I doubt if it was on purpose, Sessh," Jano said mildly. "He didn't have a choice about answering that challenge from Ryuukossei."

"It matters not if it was on purpose," Sesshomaru said in a soft, vengeful voice. "What matters is that in choosing that human over his responsibilities as Daimyo, he has left his territory vulnerable and his people open to civil war."

Sesshomaru shook his hair back from his face, assuming an air of unreachable superiority. "I will hold this territory together by force if I must. Unlike my father, I will not abandon my duty."

"What about Izayoi?" Naota asked. His tongue tasted bitter, his mouth was dry as ash. "What about the baby? Are you just going to abandon them?"

The look in Sesshomaru's eyes gave him a chill. For all they'd known each other for all their lives, he didn't think he'd ever seen such a hateful expression on his cousin's usually implacable face. The air seemed too thick in the room.

Naota let out a soft hiss of disbelief. "You are going to abandon them, aren't you? Damn it, Sessh! That baby is your own flesh and blood!"

"I don't have time to worry about some half breed whelp!" Sesshomaru suddenly roared, driven to rage by the cousin who was the only one other than Inutaisho who could make him lose his composure. Naota had always had that ability, since they were children he'd always known exactly what to do or say that would drive Sesshomaru right over the edge. They were opposites in so many ways, in looks and also in temperaments.

Naota was easygoing and affable, with a ready smile and open demeanor that encouraged the most wary persons to trust him implicitly. Sesshomaru was distant, cold and aloof even to those who knew him well. He had a habit of putting people on their guard, skewering the hapless on the icy point of his razor sharp tongue. It didn't endear him to his father's people, but no one ever failed to respect the young lord either.

Ignoring the matter again, Sesshomaru turned to Jano and Namichi. "I have already sent Ari and Izitaki to the south and west to secure the borders. I will need you two to take reinforcements to meet them. Along the northern borders the mountains are impassable this time of year so we need not be concerned with them."

"What about the east?" Jano asked, his voice sober. They were going to be spread thin enough to protect the territory from invaders at this point. Foreign youkai were a constant problem, always trying to take pieces of inuyoukai territory. As Daimyo, Inutaisho had needed to maintain his forces in order to support the lords that were loyal to him. They were certain to be under attack when word leaked beyond the borders that Inutaisho was dead.

And the clanlords themselves weren't much better. Sesshomaru openly estimated that at least half of them would try to band together and rebel. It was only natural for them to try and attain dominance over each other. The death of Inutaisho would create a vacuum and a power struggle to fill that emptiness.

From that expected shifting of loyalties, old alliances might be fractured and bitter rivalries renewed. If there was no one to fill the void, chaos would advance and civil war between the clans would be inevitable.

"I will protect the east myself," Sesshomaru said quietly. "Go now, you have to be ready to leave before dawn. No one in this fortress will sleep tonight."

As Jano and Namichi turned and left the room, Naota made to follow them. He wasn't part of the household guard or the border patrols. Inutaisho had deliberately steered him away from any interest in battles. It suited Naota well, he did not like warfare. He hated the waste of lives and the misery that followed. Particularly, he hated what youkai conflicts did to the innocent humans that got caught between them.

"Naota. Stay a moment."

"Cousin." Naota waited quietly, wondering what Sesshomaru meant to say. It would be unlike him to suddenly express grief or pain over Inutaisho's death. And it was equally unlikely that he would ask advice of his cousin. Or share any simple emotion on such a comfortless night.

As much as he would never expect Sesshomaru to confide in him, Naota still never expected the words that came next from his icicle of a cousin's mouth.

"I will need your help."

Naota stared at him, frankly shocked. Sesshomaru never asked for anyone's help. Demanded their obedience maybe, ordered them to do his bidding. But ask? For help? It was enough to rock the young hanyou back on his heels, bring one hand up to his forehead to feel for a fever.

"What did you just say?"

Sesshomaru looked annoyed. "I will need your help, Naota. There is no one else I can trust with something this important."

"Since when do you trust me with anything important?" Naota asked suspiciously. It was true; ever since they were children Sesshomaru had always been a law unto himself and discounted Naota for his human blood and his complete lack of youkai characteristics.

Then there was the fact that as a child Naota had played every nasty, funny, dignity-stealing trick he could think of on his serious minded cousin.

What kind of help could he need now?

"I need you to go to our allies," Sesshomaru said simply. "There is very little chance of our being able to secure the borders and keep the clans quiet and obedient. When I say that my father chose an inopportune time to die, I'm not being facetious. The situation is far more grave than you may have understood."

"How?" Naota wanted to know.

"The Daimyo knew that some of the clans were plotting to betray him and rebel. He believes they may have joined forces with foreign youkai as well as human warlords, promising them part of the Western territories in exchange for their support. Barou is absolutely certain of it; he's been quietly tracking their movements for the past few months."

"And uncle simply allowed this?" Naota demanded.

Sesshomaru's smile was bitter. "You saw for yourself, he had been distracted of late."

"Shit." Naota ran his hand through his thick black hair. This was much worse than he'd imagined. "How can I help?"

"I know which of the clanlords are trustworthy. If you go to them, explain what is truly happening, they will come to our aid. A few of my father's most powerful allies at my side will encourage others to remain loyal and not be misled by the lies of the ones who would betray him."

Sesshomaru hesitated for a moment, watching Naota's face. "They know they can trust you, Naota. As my father always trusted you and sent you as his personal representative. They know you as honest and know that you would not betray either my father or myself."

It made a strange kind of sense. He was the only close kin that Sesshomaru had, the only one that his cousin might trust to carry such damaging information. The clans wouldn't like knowing that some of their comrades had betrayed them to foreign youkai and human armies. They probably wouldn't even believe it, unless it came from a source they could trust.

"I'll do it," he said.

"Be swift," Sesshomaru advised. "Don't get caught. It might mean we can avoid a vicious war if you can persuade them to support me instead of getting caught up in a meaningless conflict between the clans."

Naota didn't need to be told that, he knew what was at stake. He also knew that his life would be in danger the minute he left the valley. Those who were plotting against them wouldn't hesitate to kill him on sight. If only to cause more confusion, more restlessness and intrigue.

_This was going to be very ugly_, he thought with a grim sort of determination.

"Sessh," he said, stopping at the door. One thing was nagging him, it wouldn't leave him alone. He'd been thinking about her all day, ever since the first moments of the dawn when a nameless dread had stirred in his heart and he had known that his uncle was gone.

"Will you send anyone to protect the human woman? If any of our enemies know about her, they might try to use her baby against you."

Sesshomaru snorted in amusement. "They would be mistaken."

He felt his stomach drop to his knees like a frozen ball of lead. He couldn't believe that even Sesshomaru would be so heartless as to let their enemies get their hands on a defenseless woman and child.

"She's all alone now, Sesshomaru. It's not right; you can't just throw her away like she's nothing. The Daimyo wouldn't want that."

"The Daimyo is dead because of her," Sesshomaru said coldly. "He chose to protect her and her child instead of protecting his territory. For all I know, she is dead herself and her brat as well. How could she survive if my father died trying to protect her?"

"You don't know for sure," Naota argued. "You could send someone to find out, see if she needs help. At least make sure she's safe with her own people."

"Her own people tried to kill her," Sessh hissed angrily. "Pity that they failed before my father was rash enough to destroy himself for her sake."

Horrified, Naota stared at him. "He's your brother, that baby," he said at last. "How can that mean nothing to you?"

"I have enough to concern myself with," Sesshomaru muttered, the barest hint of guilt in his voice as he brushed past his cousin, stalking to the door. "How can I protect an infant when I don't even know if any of us will live much longer? If the human and her child have survived, she will need to protect them both herself."

Left alone in his uncle's study, Naota struggled with himself. He knew how important it was for him to complete his mission for his cousin. Hundreds or thousands of youkai and human lives hung in the balance. It wasn't only the warriors that suffered and died, it was the peasants who tried to run away and weren't fast enough; it was the children who starved and died because their parents couldn't find food. There would be bloodshed and death, brutality without mercy, in an inuyoukai civil war. That was what his cousin was striving to prevent. It was the honorable thing to do.

What did the lives of a single mortal girl and her hanyou son matter in comparison?

Naota closed his eyes. He knew what Inutaisho would have said. Like his uncle, he really had no choices left.

oOo

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha wanted to know.

Sango smiled. "She was here a few minutes before you," the exterminator told him. "Then she said she wanted to go wash her face so she was going back to the spring."

Oh well, he'd apologize to her later. Inuyasha actually grinned to himself, thinking of all the ways he could show Kagome that he was sorry for being such an ass. "That's fine," he said at last, getting to his feet. "I've got something important to say."

Sango and Miroku looked curious, the monk having survived his unwilling experiment with youkai cooking. Miroku had managed to choke down exactly three bites before he gagged and had nearly thrown up on Jano's feet. The inuyoukai had relented at that point, muttering something about feeling under appreciated. It seemed humans had different tastes when it came to certain combinations of herbs.

"What's on your mind, Inuyasha?" Jano asked. He was busy scraping the remains of his concoction into the bushes. Shippou had refused to even try the stew after he'd seen Miroku's reaction, but at least Kirara had seemed to like it. The petite cat demon had daintily nibbled on the remains of Sango's bowlful and purred contentedly afterwards. Jano was somewhat mollified and hoped that the story wouldn't make it back to Makiko any time soon. He was fairly certain she'd roast him for making Miroku sick with his attempt at creative cooking.

"I ain't talking to you, bastard," Inuyasha snarled. "I got nothing to tell you at all."

"Then what is it you wish to tell us?" Sango asked. Was Inuyasha blushing? She couldn't be entirely sure; he moved his head and ducked away from her questioning look. "Please tell us what's so important."

Inuyasha mumbled something, staring at the ground with his fists clenched. Miroku and Sango exchanged glances. "What was that?" Miroku asked.

"I said, I'm sorry."

Now he knew he was hearing things, Miroku scratched his head. Inuyasha almost never apologized, at least not without being forced into it. "What exactly are you apologizing for?"

"Whattya think I'm apologizing for?" Inuyasha snapped, his face burning red. "I'm trying to say I'm sorry for being an asshole!"

Shippou shrugged, looking at Sango and Miroku in confusion. "I haven't noticed him acting any differently."

Miroku nodded. "I have to agree with you, Shippou. Tell us, Inuyasha," he smiled pleasantly. "Which time are you apologizing for?"

"As if you don't know," Inuyasha replied hotly. Just as he'd thought, he tried to do the right thing and they were mocking him. He expected it from Miroku and Shippou; they never lost a chance to jibe at him. "Oh forget it," he grunted, turning away.

Sango stood up and went to Inuyasha's side, laying her hand on his shoulder. "I accept your apology," she said simply.

He turned and met her eyes reluctantly. "Really? You aren't making fun of me?"

"Of course not," Sango said softly. "You have every right to be angry with me, Inuyasha. But I also know you don't mean the things you say when you're angry. I am sorry, not for my own actions, but for putting you in the middle of this. It can't be easy for you to try and accept your brother."

He flushed and leaned closer to her. "I don't like seeing my friends hurt." Slowly, he raised his hand and placed it over hers. "I won't let your baby go through what I went through growing up. You don't know what it's like, not being human or demon. And I don't trust Sesshomaru."

She nodded understandingly. "You're right; I can't know what you feel. And I'm not entirely certain of Sesshomaru either. But as long as I have friends like you and Kagome, like Miroku and Shippou, I won't be afraid for the future."

Something in his eyes softened. "All right, Sango. I should have said this before. I don't trust Sesshomaru, but I do trust you. As long as I'm alive, your baby will never be without protection. He or she won't grow up alone."

Inuyasha turned when he heard a muffled sob behind them. Kagome was standing there, tears in her eyes. "Inuyasha," she said, her voice rough. "That was beautiful."

There was a moment of silence as they looked at each other, a tenderness passing between the two that could be felt in the air. "Kagome," he whispered.

Jano chuckled. "Beautiful and touching, I never would have guessed you to be a poet, Inuyasha."

Growling, he turned to face the inuyoukai. "Who asked your opinion, asshole?"

Laughing, Jano waved his hands in mock surrender. "Oh, don't carry on so much. You shouldn't be ashamed of your feelings."

"Whatever," Inuyasha grunted. He was mortally embarrassed now. Bad enough he'd had to apologize; now they all probably thought he was weak because of it. His heart felt lighter, he felt more at ease, but Jano's knowing grin was really grating on his nerves. Then he felt the warmth of Kagome's hand, slipping into his and his anger started to fade.

Maybe apologizing wasn't such a bad thing after all.

oOo

Kagome woke to the sound of muffled argument going on over her head. Part of her just wanted to stay asleep, she was so tired. It seemed like Kikyou's revelation had just sapped the strength out of her. She was worried now, honestly worried, about how useful she could be to her friends.

If she couldn't sense the jewel, hell, if she couldn't purify a demon or two when needed, what use was she? She might as well go home and wait for the outcome like a good little girl. She loved her friends too much to hold them back.

She wasn't a powerful hanyou like Inuyasha; she wasn't a strong fighter like Sango. Even pregnant, Sango had proved that she could still fight with the best. And she didn't have spiritual abilities like Miroku anymore either. She'd always felt kind of useless when it came to an all out brawl, relying on her friends to protect her. Even Shippou could defend himself better than she could.

The only thing that had made sense for her in trying to stay, stick out this sometimes grim and gory task of stopping Naraku, was the fact that she could sense and purify the sacred jewel. She really wasn't much of an archer, she did practice and her arms had gotten much stronger since the first time she'd fired a bow. How her arms had ached from that at first, the truth was she only shot really well when there was some kind of demon aura for her sacred arrows to home in on. The rest of time, she was lucky to hit what she aimed at.

There was a reason she was never sent to hunt for their dinner, and it wasn't just that she was still a little squeamish and preferred not to look her supper in the eyes.

She should confess. She should tell them that she wasn't able to do what she had been doing. Her usefulness was at an end if she'd lost her spiritual abilities, wasn't it? Better to be truthful and not hold them back. Inuyasha would probably be happier if he knew she was safe at home anyway. They could still see each other whenever he had time to come through the well.

Kagome caught her breath. Could she even use the well anymore? She knew she needed a piece of the Shikon no Tama for her to pass from her time to this one, but she'd never before had a problem using the well to go home. Was that because of her priestess abilities or was it something else. That might be the worst possible scenario, that she was stuck here until someone else completed the jewel.

It wasn't pleasant to hope for the worst.

"Move it," a voice hissed above her head.

"Make me!"

"Shippou," he growled and she heard the sound of knuckles being cracked in a threatening manner. "Get out of there and don't you wake her up!"

Kagome pretended to still be asleep when a hand suddenly plunged into her half open sleeping bag, rooting for a kitsune tail. Now what were they fighting over? She was almost curious enough to sit up and ask what the ruckus was about, but something told her to stay still and listen.

"There's not enough room in here for you," Shippou's voice was hardly more than a whisper but she could hear the defiant edge to it.

"There is if you move your ass!"

She heard the sound of hand connecting with a fuzzy head and a muffled yelp as something scurried away from her. Kagome had to bite her lips hard to keep from laughing. How those two thought she could sleep through something like this, a fistfight in her sleeping bag of all things, she couldn't know. She hoped that Shippou was okay, but she figured Inuyasha couldn't have hit him that hard or he really would have squalled about it.

She heard the zipper being pulled down, opening her sleeping bag even more. A cool breeze chilled the back of her legs for a moment before it was blocked. He carefully pressed in next to her, his warm body fitting against hers perfectly and his arm curled around her waist. She felt silky hair brush over her cheek as he pressed his face into the back of her neck and sighed in contentment.

Kagome's sigh echoed his; she couldn't keep on pretending to be asleep with him curled against her. A warm feeling of happiness flooded her and washed away all the self-doubts she'd been thinking. Of course this was where she belonged, this was where Inuyasha was. Her place was in his arms, how could she have forgotten?

"You're awake, aren't you?" he whispered.

"Like I could sleep through that," she whispered back, amused. His hand slipped under her shirt and he playfully dragged his claws across her bare belly, making her hiss softly and arch against him.

"If I disturbed you, I must apologize," he grinned into her hair.

"Again with the apologizing," she answered, twisting slightly so she could look at him. He had his head propped up on his hand now and his eyes were sparkling at her by the light of the waning moon. Kagome smiled and reached up to trace his cheek with her finger.

"What's with you, anyway? You used to hate saying you're sorry."

Inuyasha looked serious, but she didn't miss the way his hand had wandered up to her chest. "I had some time to think about how I was acting," he confessed, starting to play with one of her nipples. "I didn't like it very much."

Kagome's tongue was caught between her teeth as she tried to keep from gasping aloud at the lovely sensations he was evoking in her body. Inuyasha seemed completely unaware of the havoc he was causing just by rolling that sensitive skin between callous fingertips.

_No_, she thought to herself. That wasn't right. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"W...what did you think about?" she asked, trying to distract him. Inuyasha snorted lightly and moved his hand to her other breast. Kagome shivered and clenched her jaw against the overwhelming urge to whimper.

"I thought about how it wasn't fair of me to take it out on Sango," he said at last, his voice soft and intimate. "She's got enough problems without my ripping into her for it. Then I decided that if I was ashamed of the way I treated her, I might make you ashamed of me too."

She shook her head, reaching up again to caress his face. "You could never make me ashamed of you," she murmured, her fingers winding in his hair until she found the tips of his ears. Inuyasha closed his eyes as she stroked the unbelievably soft fur, massaging them from the base to the tip. A soft sound came from the back of his throat, somewhere between a whine and a growl.

"Does that bother you?" she asked, knowing it didn't. It was good that she had some power over him too, a way to make him crazy with desire the way his hand under her shirt was driving all reason from her mind.

"Doesn't...bother...me," he husked, seeming to have a hard time finding words.

Kagome grinned to herself and rubbed harder until he was making soft whimpering sounds. This was fun; she wondered how far she could go with just the ear scratching. His hand on her breast had stopped playing with her; she could feel him starting to tremble all over his body.

She leaned closer until she could reach him, flicking her tongue out over his lower lip. His eyes were half open, glazed almost, and his lips were parted with his heavy breathing. She'd never realized that he'd react so strongly to having his ears rubbed like this. No wonder he'd always been so sensitive about them, getting easily irritated when anyone tried to tweak them.

Inuyasha growled softly and suddenly pushed her back, moving on top of her with an intense expression while his knee pressed her thighs apart. Kagome gasped, her hands braced against his shoulders even as he started to work his hands under her skirt.

"No," she hissed urgently, hoping she could get through to him. "Not in front of everybody!"

He blinked; coming out of the daze she'd put him into with her ear massage. He glanced over at their companions. "They're asleep," he muttered.

"Not for long," Kagome answered quickly. "They'll hear us, Inuyasha. We can't."

He glared down at her as if she'd challenged him. "The hell," he said shortly and got up, yanking Kagome up along with him. She just had time to catch her balance before he swept her up in his arms and bounded off into the forest.

Kagome hid her face against his shoulder as he ran, shielding herself from the leaves and twigs that whipped against his body and tore in his hair. He never seemed to notice them, but Kagome had learned a long time ago how to keep herself from getting scratched when he ran.

She gasped when he jumped for the high branches, flying through the air with almost no effort. Inuyasha settled them on a branch, leaning his back against the tree trunk as he positioned Kagome in his lap. Tenderly, he brushed the hair back from her face and looked into her eyes.

"Private enough for you, Kagome?" he asked.

"Yeah," she breathed, leaning forward so she could press her mouth against his. Inuyasha's hands rolled her hips forward, bringing her closer to him as her legs dangled on either side of his. His tongue searched for hers hungrily. Kagome barely recognized herself as she bit down lightly on his lower lip. He pulled away from her so suddenly that she nearly snagged the skin with her teeth.

"I need you," he said, gasping as he broke their kiss. Kagome felt his hands go under her skirt again and jerked away as she realized he was about to use his claws to slice away her undergarments.

She slapped at his hands. "Don't you dare!" Inuyasha dropped his hands and openly smirked at her as she got to her feet on the thick branch, cursing softly under her breath and trying to free herself from her panties.

"Do you have any idea how silly you look?" he demanded as she put her hand on the top of his head to balance herself.

Kagome gave him a stern look and then stripped off her shirt and knelt before him. She pulled his hands to her, holding them tight as they cupped her breasts. "Still think I look silly?" she challenged.

He met her eyes with a sly grin. "Don't make me start apologizing again. We'll be here all night."

Inuyasha slipped his hand out from under hers so he could reach around her waist and yank her close to him again. His nose found her throat, nibbling lightly along her collarbone. She tasted delicious, everything he ever wanted or needed all at once. Her hips rubbed against his until he groaned and shoved his own clothing out of the way.

She whispered his name as he pulled her to him; skin sliding against skin and Kagome shuddered against his chest. She gripped his shoulders with her fingers, trying to find a comfortable way of resting against him. In this position, she felt almost impaled upon him and with her legs over his; she couldn't find a way to ease the strain in her thighs.

He seemed to understand that she wasn't comfortable and slipped his hands under her rear to support her, whispering something intelligible into her neck as he tilted her forward and started to move her. Kagome gasped and arched her back, her fingers digging hard in his shoulders. Stars were shooting before her eyes; his breathing became ragged in her ear as he moved her faster, grinding her hips into his. Pleasure so intense it was almost pain was shooting through her body, making her skin electric.

"Kagome," she heard her name said in a harsh whisper. She was trying to move herself now, finding the right way to curve her spine and the fabric of his haori seemed rough against the sensitive skin of her chest. Her chin was on his shoulder, her face buried in his hair and still she strained against his hands toward what she needed.

"Gods, Kagome!" he gasped, his voice lifting into a shout as his hands clamped onto her hips and forced her against him, shaking under her until she wondered if they'd fall from the tree. She cried out his name once, throwing her arms over her head and trusting that he'd keep her safe, abandoning herself to her body's response. Finally, she fell forward again, leaning into him as he held her tight.

"I love you so much," he whispered, nuzzling her hair.

Her arms wound around his neck, holding him tight against her. "I love you too," she answered. "Tell me something, Inuyasha."

"Anything," he murmured, kissing her neck and ear over and over, his tongue flicking out for her taste.

"Would you still want me to be with you, even if I couldn't sense where the jewel was?" Now that she said it, it sounded stupid and petty. Kagome felt him slowly press her away so that he could look at her face.

"Why would you even ask me something like that?" Inuyasha asked her seriously. "Don't you trust me, don't you believe me when I say I love you?"

Kagome flushed. "Of course I trust you," she said softly. "But if I couldn't sense the jewel, there wouldn't be any reason for me to be here. I couldn't help you against Naraku."

Inuyasha leaned his head back and looked at her. "You're a funny girl, Kagome," he said at last. "I'm not in love with you because you can sense the damn jewel."

"I didn't say you were," she said quickly, toying with his hair to buy herself some time to think. "I just...don't think I'm all that useful to you and the others sometimes. I'm not that good at fighting, I'm really not much good at hitting anything with an arrow unless there's a demonic aura to purify. I've just been thinking that maybe I...hold you back."

Strong fingers took her chin and she found herself staring into sober golden eyes. "Dummy," he said.

She twisted her face out of his grip. "Who are you calling dummy?"

"You, dummy. You thinking that you hold us back." He pulled her close until his face was against her neck again, her chin in his hair. Inuyasha stroked her back slowly, trailing his claws along her skin without scratching her and inhaling deeply of her delicate scent. What a dummy.

"You don't hold us back," he muttered, his lips brushing against the hollow of her throat. "You're the glue the holds us together."


	39. ThirtyNine

_**Chapter ThirtyNine**_

He turned slowly, his eyes on the ground. The voice was low, soft and cool, irresistible and fatal as the blade that hung loosely in his hand. He raised his chin and looked the demon in the eye.

Sesshomaru smiled at him, a cruel twist to his mouth. "Have you been looking for me, Kohaku?"

The boy cleared a throat suddenly gone dry. "I...I was looking for my sister."

Sesshomaru moved closer, still smiling at him, an eerie sort of smile. It made the hair on Kohaku's neck stand up. "But you've found me instead of her," Sesshomaru hissed softly. "Are you sure you have nothing to say to me?"

Kohaku opened his mouth, finding it strangely empty of the words he'd planned to say. He wanted to run but his feet seemed rooted in the ground. He wasn't sure why, even though Sesshomaru was a powerful demon, he had never been afraid of him. Since the moment he'd awoken in the daiyoukai's fortress, he had felt a strange sort of comfort in his presence. Now he didn't feel that comfort, nothing like that at all.

He was absolutely terrified.

"You came looking for me because of your sister," the demon told him, a sadistic note in his voice. Kohaku started to back away, his eyes wide.

"What did you do to my sister?" he whispered.

"Fucked her," Sesshomaru said coldly. "She's my whore, isn't she? I can do what I want with her. And the brat I put inside her womb. Do you have a problem that, Kohaku?"

The words made him angry, livid for his sister's sake. Kohaku didn't stop to consider that they sounded nothing like what he would have expected Sesshomaru to say. He was too hurt, too betrayed. Everything his father's ghost had told him was true. Sesshomaru saw Sango as nothing, an amusement at best, and a toy to be discarded when he grew bored.

Anger making his young body shake, Kohaku glared up at the demon. "Why don't you just leave her alone?" he shouted. "You don't love her at all!"

"Of course I don't love a pathetic creature like your sister," Sesshomaru sneered. "And you, human, do not tell me what I should do." With those words, he moved so fast he was hardly more than a blur and struck Kohaku across the face so hard that the boy fell to the ground.

Blood streaming from his nose, the boy glared up at him defiantly. Slowly, he got to his feet to stand before Sesshomaru again. Very quietly, he said it again. "Leave my sister alone."

Sesshomaru laughed sharply, turned and struck him again with the back of his hand. Again, Kohaku fell to his knees, his face bruised and throbbing.

"Get up," the demon hissed. "Stand to face me, pathetic mortal."

Obediently, Kohaku rose. His hand fell upon his blade, his fingers tightened in the links of the chain. "If you won't leave her alone," Kohaku said, his voice quiet, fatal. "I will have to kill you, Sesshomaru-sama."

The cold demon lord looked at him, a sneer of contempt on his inhuman face. "You dare to attack me, boy?"

Kohaku nodded, his heart firm. After the crimes he had committed, it would not be shameful to die in defense of his sister's honor. It was probably pointless, but it was honorable.

It was the best death that he could hope for.

Rin couldn't move, she couldn't even breathe. All she wanted to do was cry. She'd learned how to cry silently, it had kept her alive when she'd witnessed her family being killed by bandits. She had often thought that it was a lesson learned far too late.

She'd been six years old. Mama had always chided her for talking so much and about absolutely nothing important. She couldn't help it; she liked the chatter of her own voice. Rin talked to the birds, to the trees. She babbled at the fish in the streams she crossed, asking them how their days went and imagining that they answered her in her own language. _Bubble-bubble_ went the fish. _How are you, Rin? Thank you for talking to us_. She liked to talk.

And unfortunately, she also liked to talk to strangers.

When a friendly looking man had stopped her in the woods, smiling at her as she lugged a heavy bucket of water, she had smiled back and said hello. He'd offered to help her carry the bucket, asking why such a young girl had such heavy chores.

Rin replied that her mama had no one else to help with the chores of cooking and cleaning. Her father was an itinerant tinker, traveling from village to village. He mended tools, sharpened knives, did whatever odd jobs the village folk were able to give him for whatever they were willing to barter.

The man had asked how her father managed to support his family in such a way and Rin quite happily replied that her father was smart; he saved his money carefully to provide for them during the lean months. Often they'd choose a nice village for the colder days of winter, her father's earnings paying for their keep when he couldn't get work. Mama would take in washing and sewing as well.

The man had smiled at that and offered her a sweet from his pocket. Rin took it and sat beside him to eat the treat. Didn't her father ever worry about bandits, the man inquired. These were dangerous times; many deserters from the warring armies roamed the countryside and preyed upon hard working folk like her family.

Didn't she have any other male relatives to help defend them if such a situation arose?

Rin truthfully replied that she did not. She did have two older brothers, ages ten and twelve. They worked hard to help her father in his trade. Rin said her father never worried about bandits. He said their family was too small and poor looking to be of much interest. That and he kept to well-used roads and he was respected as an honest man in the villages. People had to look out for each other.

The man had laughed at that, patted her on the head and told her to get back to her mother before she earned a scolding. Rin had smiled at that. It seemed he knew her mother's temperament well from just the short conversation they'd had.

"It was nice talking to you," she called out as he walked away.

The man turned and smiled back at her. "It was nice to talk to you also, little Rin. I hope we meet again."

Later that night, her family was attacked. Rin awoke to the sound of her mother's screaming. Two burly men held her father's arms while a third beat him, demanding money, valuables. Rin's mother sobbed as she tried to hold back her two sons, pleading with their father to just give the men what they wanted.

Finally, disgusted with her father's refusal to give in, the man doing the beating and demanding had pulled out a dagger and cut her father's throat. Rin's mother lost whatever composure she'd had, screaming as she ran to her husband's side. The leader of the bandits had just turned and struck her to the ground.

She couldn't move, half hidden by the wreckage of her father's overturned cart. She couldn't move as her two brothers ran at the men, flailing with their small fists to defend their mother. The bandits simply grabbed the boys by their hair and also slit their throats. Rin couldn't look away, couldn't tear her eyes from her brothers' bleeding bodies. Her mother's sobs were abruptly silenced as well.

She'd thought she'd never move again, crouched like a tiny rabbit under the brush as the bandits ransacked her family's pitiful belongings. There hadn't been much money, she'd been bragging when she'd told the man in the forest how well off her father was, how proud she was of him for providing so well.

She'd been lying when she told him how her mother was so much in demand as a seamstress that the village women paid her well to make bridal garb for the young maidens. How they lived at a good inn during the rainy months, not huddled in some abandoned hut when the cold came and her father's work dried up. Somehow he'd always made sure they were warm and had enough to eat, but that was all.

He'd been such a nice looking man and he'd liked to hear her talk. She'd just wanted him to think she was worth listening to, even if she had to stretch the truth a bit.

As the bandits left, grumbling a bit about the pitiful haul, his eyes had met hers. And he smiled but she didn't think him nice or handsome anymore. If she hadn't talked to him, if she hadn't wanted to hear herself speak...her family wouldn't be dead.

And then Rin didn't talk anymore. When men from the nearest village had found her family, they'd asked what happened. Rin didn't tell them. When they'd taken her back to the village and tried to care for her, she wouldn't speak, wouldn't do anything. She just stared at them with her bottomless black eyes until they grew tired of her stares and her silences. In exasperation, they'd let the child fend for herself. She wouldn't sleep under the roofs of the other villagers; she was terrified to being trapped inside.

And then she'd found her Sesshomaru-sama. When she'd first laid eyes on him, she hadn't known what to think or what he was. He was too beautiful to be real; there was nothing at all human or dirty about him. He didn't smell like the men of the village or dress like them. His hair was whiter than the purest snow, his clothing rich and elegant.

And he was hurt, that much she could tell. Too curious to have better sense, she'd crept closer. She just wanted to look at him, find out why such a beautiful creature might be lying helpless on the forest floor. She wanted to touch him and make sure he was real.

Then his eyes had opened and glowed red at her, his lips had parted and she saw the fangs. That was when she knew that she was looking at a youkai. The villagers told stories about youkai, said they were ugly and cruel, monsters that feasted upon human flesh and stole away young girls for evil purposes. What exactly those evil purposes were, Rin couldn't be sure. But this youkai was not ugly.

Perhaps he was not evil either.

The next time she saw him his eyes were the color of sunshine and his voice was low and musical. He refused her help, told her to leave. He might as well have told her to stop breathing. She was drawn to him as a moth to the flame, curiosity replacing good sense and justified fear. It was the first time since her father had died that she'd ever felt safe in the presence of another. This was a creature that might be great and terrible, even the ramblings of a scared little girl wouldn't be able to damage him.

And then the wolves had come and she had died. Her last thoughts had been of him, of trying to warn him that the wolves were attacking the village. She didn't even think of going to him for protection, she wanted to make sure he was safe. She couldn't bear to lose something else, already she had nothing left. If she could just get there, make the words come from her throat; he might be safe from the wolves.

Then came pain and darkness, mercifully quick. After that, Rin remembered nothing else. Just that she drew a breath, then another, and opened her eyes. And he was the one who was holding her, had saved her. He didn't smile at her, only met her eyes most soberly with his own sunshine bright gaze. And Rin realized that she'd never have to be afraid of him.

Sunshine was shattered and covered by darkness.

Rin forgot how to speak.

She found herself afraid again.

Tears streaked her face, silent little tears. In her ears, Kohaku's screams became those of her mother's, her brothers' and those of her father. She watched as his blood stained the ground just like her family's had done. Only the bandits that had murdered them had been only human, quick and brutal with death. They had slit her parents' and siblings' throats, painted the ground with crimson pain while she sat helpless and watched.

Sesshomaru continued to torture Kohaku for some time while Rin's legs grew numb in their cramped position and her bottom was wet and cold from the muddy ground. But she still couldn't move, couldn't call out to him. Couldn't force herself to beg Sesshomaru-sama to stop hurting the boy.

Claws opened great gashes in Kohaku's body and Rin couldn't speak. The boy screamed in agony and she couldn't move.

Sunshine and darkness. Bright blood against dark green leaves. She wanted to throw herself at him, plead with him, and beg for Kohaku's life. But she was just a little girl and her mind went blank and numb with horror as she watched Kohaku's life drip away under Sesshomaru's claws.

Even as death he was still beautiful. Horrifyingly, hatefully beautiful.

oOo

Kouga knelt on the ground, sniffing hard. Damn it, he couldn't even catch a whiff of their quarry. It was like the damn thing had just up and disappeared. It seemed like they'd been moving in circles and the wolf was getting more and more frustrated by the minute.

"Kouga?"

He glanced up at Hakkaku and scowled. "Yeah?"

Hakkaku ran a nervous hand over his scalp. Kouga was in such a bad mood these days; it was hard to talk to him about anything. "Um," he said, looking innocently at the sky. "Me and Ginta were thinking..."

"Since when?" Kouga asked sarcastically.

"Huh?"

Kouga stood up, stalking over to the other demon. "Since when do you and Ginta think?"

Hakkaku flushed. "I mean, we were just listening to Naota-sama and."

"Naota-sama?" Kouga exploded, grabbing Hakkaku by the front of his armor. "You and Ginta have been calling him Naota-sama? What the hell is wrong with you two? You don't call a measly human Naota-sama!"

"Oh, knock it off," Naota muttered from where he was sitting under a tree. "He was just going to ask if you wanted to double back to the river since the trail's gone cold."

"Who says the trail's gone cold?" Kouga asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. Damned if a nose-blind excuse for a human was going to tell him what to do!

Naota leaned back, matching the wolf demon glare for glare. "Oh, it's not cold?" he asked sarcastically. "You been sniffing around in a circle for a reason then?"

"What the hell would you know about youkai senses?" Kouga asked, irritated. How could a mere human understand the delicate abilities of a wolf demon's nose? How could he understand the years of experience Kouga had attained, honing his sense of smell, learning to interpret the most minute shifts of aroma?

A palm suddenly slapped right into his forehead and Kouga scowled. Naota had jumped up and smacked him. He never even saw the bastard move. _How does he do that_, Kouga wondered furiously. He shoved the human away from him, not wanting to get into an embarrassing fistfight, one he might lose in front of Ginta and Hakkaku.

"What was that for?" he demanded hotly while his two wolf companions watched in utter fascination.

"Listen, wolf," Naota said, contempt seething in his voice. "I know more about youkai than you ever will, even being a demon yourself you won't ever know half of what I know." He raised a finger in front of Kouga's nose.

"Fact," Naota said harshly. "Wolf youkai have excellent senses of smell." Kouga swelled a bit with pride until Naota gave him a piercing stare. "But dog youkai are better at following a scent. Better at tracking."

"You got a point, human?" Kouga sneered. Naota's hand darted forward and flicked the tip of his nose condescendingly. Kouga growled.

"Inuyoukai are not only better at tracking, they are better at hiding themselves from being tracked. We are not following an ordinary demon. Not if he can mask his presence so well that even I can't follow him."

"You're human," Ginta blurted out suddenly. "You can't follow his scent."

Sighing, Naota rolled his eyes. "I'm not following his scent," he said at last, looking a little tired. "I'm following...something else."

"What's that?" Hakkaku asked in a hushed tone.

Naota shrugged. "Call it whatever you want," he said quietly. "Call it instinct or a hunch. Whatever it is, I can feel him out there, restless and insane from evil. It won't be long until he needs to find some way to feed that darkness inside him. When he does, we'll be there."

oOo

Kohaku lay on the ground, panting harshly, already weak from loss of blood. He was dying, that was a feeling he was too intimately familiar with to ever mistake. Sesshomaru was standing over him, licking blood off his claws.

"I suppose you're a disappointment to me, Kohaku," he said at last, his eyes gleaming strangely. Kohaku tried to lift his head but found he was too weak to even look at the demon. He'd barely been able to get in a couple of blows before his blade had been knocked away.

Kohaku couldn't quite understand it, he'd been angry but almost as soon as Sesshomaru had started in on him, he'd hardly been able to defend himself. Instead his muscles rebelled, his will became thin and strained, like it was starved for air and smothering in Sesshomaru's presence. He'd had to scream, he couldn't stop himself. Every time those sharp claws tore his skin, he'd screamed and felt the demon's delight.

"Pitiful," the demon whispered. "You aren't worth killing. I will leave you here for your sweet sister to find. Make sure you remember to give her my regards."

It seemed he was likely to die before he got the chance to tell Sango anything. Kohaku lay on the ground, his face pressed up against the earth. _I was buried once_, he remembered fuzzily. _After I killed father and our cousins, after I killed my sister. They buried me in the dirt. I would have stayed there; I wanted to stay with them. How can I ever tell them that Naraku didn't let me stay dead?_

Sesshomaru had gone, he knew that. He wondered if Sango would find him. He wondered if she would know who had finally killed him, that he'd died thinking to protect her. He wanted her to know that, somehow, he knew she would.

There was a rustle behind him. Kohaku barely had the strength left to turn his head and look up at the girl. Rin's face was white, but her eyes were red and swollen. He realized that she'd been watching. She'd seen the whole thing. That was something he had wanted to avoid, he hated himself for letting her be dragged into this. Better that she'd never seen Sesshomaru's true nature, better that she'd continued to live at the fortress among the youkai she thought were kind.

Rin should have known better. So should he. Youkai were never kind.

"Rin," he whispered. "You shouldn't have followed me."

She knelt down next to him, reaching out a shaking hand. Kohaku sometimes wondered if he'd ever had a childhood. Had Rin? He couldn't remember if she'd ever told him. Tears were streaking her young face and it was all his fault. Sango's face would be stained like that when she found him. He couldn't help that, just like he couldn't help anything else. But he had to try.

"Rin," he said, making his voice louder with an effort. He felt so weak; it was going to be good to sleep again. He'd finally be able to rest. "You have to find my sister and tell her what happened. I don't want her to find me like this and not know how it happened. Can you do that for me?"

"Kohaku." Her voice was hardly more than a frail whisper, the delicate sound of a child's breaking heart. "Don't die."

As if he could choose. Sesshomaru had no further use for him and had left him for dead, left him for his sister to find and grieve helplessly over. He wondered if she'd beg the demon to revive him, if Sesshomaru would be amused.

"Tell her," he pleaded. If Rin could tell Sango the truth, what she'd seen, maybe then his sister would be saved. She needed to know. And there was something else.

With the last of his strength, he reached for the little glass bottle that Kagome had entrusted him with. This was important, he couldn't let this last shard fall into the wrong hands. His fingers inched towards hers until he could press the bottle into her palm.

"Find Sango," he breathed. "Find Kagome, give her this. It's important, Rin."

The boy's eyes closed and Rin looked down at the bottle. His face was bloody from Sesshomaru's beating, his clothing torn to shreds. Rin had seen death. Like Kohaku, she had tasted it. She'd listened carefully to everything when she'd found out that he had died once like her. About how he'd been brought back from death by a piece of the sacred jewel that everyone was so worried about. At the time, she'd felt sorry for Kohaku. He'd been revived by a cruel demon, not like her. Not at all like her.

Her lips were trembling; she knew she couldn't stop the tears. Kohaku's chest rose and fell slowly, his mouth drawn in pain as he waited for death. Again, she had been too scared to move, too weak to fight. She should have fought beside her brothers; she should have run to her mother instead of hiding away. Rin had sworn to herself that she'd never sit by and let someone die again. She just couldn't do it.

Kohaku had to live. He had to find his sister, it was so important for them to have each other. And Sango would need her brother, she would need family. She was going to have a baby and Sesshomaru-sama...

Her mind went blank for a moment, hearing the screams. Kohaku. Mama. Papa. They all screamed and bled and died in front of her while she did nothing. She couldn't just let Kohaku die again. But she was just a girl, what could she do?

Rin glanced down at the little glass bottle, the shiny bit inside seemed to glow, beckoning to her. Of course. Kohaku didn't have to die; she didn't have to see him go.

Slowly, her fingers weak and trembling, she opened the bottle.

oOo

It was going to be a beautiful day, Sango decided. Dawn was just beginning to break and for once she didn't greet the day with the queasy desire to vomit. Maybe this pregnancy thing was going to be all right after all. If the child was truly developing this quickly, perhaps she didn't have to suffer the sickness for as long as a normal human pregnancy.

It seemed as if she was the only one awake. Sango quietly climbed out of her bedroll, stepping carefully over Miroku as he snorted in his sleep and turned over. She smiled, realizing that for the first time she'd allowed him to sleep near her at night and had not been concerned with his wandering hand.

If nothing else, Sesshomaru might have cured the monk of his ambitions to grope her. Sango considered the idea briefly and then shook her head. Somehow she thought that even the confrontation with her demon mate wouldn't have completely dissuaded Miroku. The bruises were still livid around his throat, but when she stepped over his sleeping form, she saw his fingers twitch and a faint smile appear on his lips.

Sango smiled to herself as she stirred the remains of their banked campfire. She glanced over at her companions and had to suppress a chuckle. Jano was asleep, curled up in Kirara's tails with Shippou on his lap. Strange how her friend had taken such a liking to the handsome inuyoukai. Kirara as a rule didn't care for other demons, much less warriors like Jano. However, her acceptance of Sesshomaru's bodyguard had been instant and implicit.

If Kirara had been human, Sango would have sworn it was a crush.

Speaking of such things. Sango glanced over to where Kagome lay; the girl was curled tightly in her sleeping bag and sound asleep. And no wonder, her and Inuyasha had returned to the camp very late indeed. Out of respect for her friends' privacy, Sango had pretended to still be asleep when they'd said their goodnights with a very passionate and open kiss. It made her smile that they were finally happy with each other.

Kagome had seemed rather strained yesterday after she'd returned from bringing Jano water for his...stew...if that's what he wanted to call it. It was no wonder that she was hungry this morning. The small taste of the youkai stew had lingered in the back of her mouth to the point where she gave up any hope of eating last night. Even water had tasted off. She could tell there was nothing harmful in it, but the taste had been overwhelming.

Her stomach growled ominously. Yes, she'd better get the fire going and start breakfast herself. Kagome's rice porridge sounded like a safe option. As she began to get the cooking gear out, she saw the remains of Jano's creation sitting in a lidded bowl. Curious, she lifted the lid and gave it a sniff.

The smell was different, but not nearly as repulsive as she'd first thought. Sango looked at the faintly greenish substance. Her nose twitched. She detected herbs that she never would have thought of combining, ordinary vegetables and some kind of meat. Seeing how they hadn't hunted the night before, she wondered about that and deduced that Jano must have brought some kind of preserved meat with him.

Without really meaning to, she dipped her finger in the stew and put it in her mouth. Surprisingly, it was tasty. She couldn't fathom why she hadn't liked it before. Eagerly, she dug in with her bare hands, shoveling the sticky, congealed stew into her mouth as fast as she could. It tasted good, it tasted like something she'd needed, been craving in a way she'd never even thought possible.

"Sango, you okay?"

Stew sticking to her chin, she looked up at Inuyasha and felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She swallowed what was in her mouth and gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine, just hungry."

Inuyasha looked suspicious, as if he expected her to get sick on him. "You like that stuff?" he asked, curiosity in his voice.

"I didn't last night," she murmured. Sango looked down at the bowl in her hands and was chagrined when she realized she'd eaten nearly all of it. "It just tasted right."

"Of course it did," Jano said, sitting up and dumping Shippou unceremoniously on the ground.

"Hey!" the kitsune protested, rubbing his head.

Miroku rolled over and glared at them. "It is far too early to be awake," he said in a calm voice with just a hint of irritation. He sat up, feeling at the bruises on his neck. Definitely the closest he'd ever come to being killed for his indiscretions. Still, Sango's lips had been sweet and warm under his. Not exactly worth dying for, but it was close.

Inuyasha grinned, folding his arms and staring down at the monk. "You're too lazy," he said in a condescending tone. "You'd sleep all day if you could."

"I'm tired," Miroku replied with a wicked glint in his eye. "For some reason I kept having the most appalling nightmare and it made my sleep most uneasy."

"A nightmare?" Sango frowned, setting aside her bowl. Briefly she wondered if she could talk Jano into cooking more for her but decided to leave the subject alone. Just in case the stew didn't settle as easily as she hoped it would.

Miroku lay back down, making a show of arranging himself comfortably. "A nightmare," he yawned. "I kept thinking that I heard Kagome screaming your name, Inuyasha. Poor girl, she must have been in considerable distress to be crying out like that."

Inuyasha's face turned dark red. "Why you rotten, lecherous..."

Sango jumped up to grab his sleeve before he could take out his embarrassment on the grinning monk. Jano had already gotten to his feet and was stretching lazily, seemingly amused by the conversation.

"I had no idea humans possessed such sharp hearing, Miroku," he said. "But truly, to bring the subject up is somewhat tasteless."

"Speaking of taste," Sango said hurriedly, letting go of Inuyasha so she could approach Jano. "Your stew was delicious this morning. I apologize for insulting your cooking last night."

He beamed at her. "Thank you, Sango-sama," he said, bowing formally to her. "It usually is better the second day. I think it's because the herbs have a chance to break down the tissues and give the grubs a chance to ferment."

She turned pale. "G...grubs?"

Jano chuckled and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm kidding. There were no grubs."

Whatever reply Sango felt she could have made to that vanished from her mind. A scent came to her upon the wind. It was familiar, so familiar, she knew him as she knew her own heart, as her palm knew the hard edge of Hiraikotsu. Growling, Sango very nearly dropped into a defensive crouch, turning and putting her face to the light morning wind.

Inuyasha scowled, staring into the same direction. Instinctively he moved to stand near Kagome, his protective instincts flaring to life. Kagome sat up, blinking blearily as he moved over her. "What's happening?" she wanted to know, rubbing her eyes.

"Something's coming," he muttered, his eyes roaming the treeline.

She pulled her legs out of her sleeping bag hurriedly, struggling to get to her feet. Kagome gave a squeak as Inuyasha's hand grasped her elbow and pulled her up quickly.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"Yeah," he returned. His nose twitched, trying to identify the scent that was approaching. His eyes widening in recognition, he turned to look at the exterminator. "Sango," he said, concern coloring his tone.

"It's Kohaku," she answered, her voice tight. "I know the smell of my brother's blood."

Jano had moved behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Something is wrong," he breathed. "Look, you stay here. I will go..."

"Kohaku!" Sango screamed, breaking Jano's hold and rushing into the forest. Inuyasha was barely a second behind her, Jano at his heels. Sango took no notice, her mind filled with the bloodscent. It drew a red line in the air that she couldn't help but follow, couldn't help but find him. Anger pulsed in her chest, fury and fear; she couldn't have stopped herself until reached him.

He wasn't far. Sango broke into a small clearing, seeing Kohaku standing weakly with his arm around little Rin's shoulders. He looked like he couldn't have stood without her help, weaving on his feet. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, blood crusting on his clothing. She stared at him breathless with horror and darted forward when he began to fall.

"What happened?" she demanded as she lowed him to the forest floor. "Why did you leave the fortress? Who did this to you, Kohaku? Who did this?"

He looked at her, his beloved sister, the pain and fear in her eyes livid as a wound. He hated to tell her, he hated to upset her. After everything that he had been through, one thing had never changed. He loved her, he wanted to protect her.

"Sesshomaru," he breathed, closing his eyes and collapsing against her breast. "It was Sesshomaru. He tried to kill me."


	40. Forty

_**Chapter Forty**_

"That's impossible!" Jano shouted angrily.

He didn't expect anyone to believe him, not with Kohaku sitting and dripping blood in front of their eyes. He expected Inuyasha to fight him on this one, but damn it, years of hatred and distance didn't make him the best judge of his brother. Jano had known Sesshomaru his entire life, knew his father, had been raised with him as a brother, damn it.

He knew the youkai well. This couldn't be his work. "I'm telling you he would never do this to Kohaku, not now. Not without a damned good reason!"

Inuyasha growled at him. "Yeah, I suppose that wasn't him that almost ripped Miroku's head off either. Look at the kid; he's covered in claw marks. If you know that bastard so well you should be able to recognize them."

Jano stared hard at Kohaku's battered face. The boy just looked up at Jano, fear and betrayal still haunting his eyes. "I'm not lying," he said softly.

The bodyguard's face softened and he knelt next to the boy, ignoring the way Sango stiffened defensively. If anything hurt, that did, he thought sadly. "I'm not calling you a liar," he said, his voice much gentler. "I'm just saying that it must have been someone else. Did you get a good look at who hurt you?"

Slowly, Kohaku leaned back and closed his eyes. "He brought us both here," the boy said, his voice distant and strained. "He woke us up and told us to come with him. So we did. Then...he stopped not far from here and told me that I was supposed to go back to my sister and never speak to him again. He seemed really angry."

Sango brushed his hair back from his eyes. "Why?" she asked, tears she wouldn't shed hung heavy in her voice. "Why did he hurt you, Kohaku?"

"I don't know." He sounded exhausted, too tired to open his eyes. "I don't know, sister. He just started hitting me. I kept begging him to stop, but he just laughed."

"He couldn't," Jano muttered. Sesshomaru had a sadistic streak; he was well acquainted with it. But he'd saved the boy with Tenseiga, healed him when he could have simply left him to die. Jano knew better, Sesshomaru would have from that single moment felt that Kohaku belonged to him and was under his protection. And a youkai wouldn't just suddenly turn on what he thought of as his.

"Ask Rin," Kohaku murmured. "She saw the whole thing."

He turned to look over his shoulder only to be confronted with an angry Kagome. "Jano, don't you dare ask that little girl anything! She's so traumatized she can't even speak. I think that's pretty good evidence that Kohaku is telling the truth."

"Why would Kohaku lie?" Sango asked. She felt all eyes turn to her and continued to stroke Kohaku's hair. "He would never lie to me, not about something like that. I...I think it's time for me to admit that I've been a fool."

"Sango," Jano said helplessly, sorrowful for the great misery that was settling over the exterminator's face like a shroud. "Something is wrong, can't you feel it?"

"I can't feel anything," Sango answered. "I don't want to feel anything right now. I don't think my brother is lying, I'm not saying that you are either. But I can't talk about it right now. I just need to be with Kohaku."

When Sango turned away from him, he heard a note of finality in her voice that he'd never heard before. "Sango," he said, trying to think of some way to break through that defensive shell before it hardened completely.

A hand fell heavily on his shoulder and Jano glared at Inuyasha. "I think it might be best if she didn't have to look at you," the hanyou growled.

"Yes," Miroku said suddenly. He had been very quiet up until now, but the monk moved to Inuyasha's side, his eyes hard and his anger as livid as the ring of bruises around his neck. "I think it be best for everyone if you left us, Jano. I mean no insult, but I fear your loyalty to your lord will make it impossible for you remain with us now."

"None of you are listening to a word I say," Jano snarled. "Can't you smell a trap when your nose is rubbed in it? Sessh didn't do this; at least confront him to his face before you assume that he's responsible."

Inuyasha's hand fell to the hilt of Tessaiga. "I will confront him," the hanyou said softly, his expression decidedly unpleasant. "I will definitely confront him about this, don't you worry."

"You're just looking for any excuse to believe that you were right," Jano answered him. "I could say the same about you, Miroku. You've both got your own reasons for wanting me to leave."

"Maybe you should take the hint," Inuyasha said, a low, threatening growl beginning deep in the back of his throat. There were a number of things he didn't like about Jano, his cockiness, his smooth way of turning your words against you. Most of all, he didn't like that this was someone that Sesshomaru trusted, someone that would never betray him. And since he didn't trust Sesshomaru himself, that made Jano the most dangerous person next to his brother have anywhere near Kagome or Sango.

It didn't make him feel any better to be right about Sesshomaru. Inuyasha had expected some satisfaction when his brother revealed his true nature at last. Instead, he felt an angry hurt betrayal for Sango and a deep disgust with himself for letting Sesshomaru get away with doing this to his friend. It wasn't enough for Sesshomaru to just abandon the pregnant exterminator, just as he'd abandoned Inuyasha to the world of humans. He had to drive his true intentions home with torturing Kohaku. Just in case Sango had any stupid ideas about coming back to him.

And the little kid looked almost catatonic, Inuyasha felt particularly grim about that. It seemed his brother had concluded his experiment with humans. Rin sat huddled on the ground, her knees pulled up to her chest and her face hidden by her hair. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her legs and she wouldn't speak no matter how gently Kagome tried to soothe and comfort her.

"Just get out of here, Jano," Inuyasha said, irritation all over his tone. Just like he wanted to put his fists all over Jano's face. "You aren't wanted here."

"You think you can make me leave?" Jano's tone had turned deadly and Inuyasha didn't miss the minute shift of his stance. This was the professional Jano, the assassin his brother wielded like a blade. _Bodyguard, my ass_, Inuyasha thought, cracking his knuckles. Since when did Sesshomaru need anyone's protection? Jano was nothing more than a hired thug when it came down to it.

Inuyasha grinned; he'd been looking forward to this. "I think I can make you sorry you didn't leave when asked," he answered sweetly. He bared his fangs at Jano, hearing the inuyoukai's growl in response. "You wanna go now?"

"Stop it." Kagome didn't shout or even hardly raise her voice. She didn't have to, both Jano and Inuyasha turned almost instantly to look at her. Quietly, she got to her feet and went to stand between them with Inuyasha just behind her shoulder as she faced Jano.

"Please," she said, bowing her head politely. Her tone was so gentle and calm that it would be churlish to refuse her. "Jano-san, please leave. I don't want any more violence and can't be good to upset Sango like this. If you truly care about any of our welfare, you will go before anyone says anything they can't take back."

Hurt entered Jano's dark eyes; his expression was one of honest regret. "Kagome, you also think that I'm lying. Why?"

The girl met his eyes forthrightly, without any hint of uncertainty. "I do believe you," she said, reaching slowly for Inuyasha's hand and holding it tightly. "I also believe that your loyalty to Sesshomaru is unquestionable. You defend him because you believe in him and that's something we can't share."

"I don't deny it," Jano said. "I have pledged my life to protect Sango and her child. That's not something I can just easily discount because you've decided I can't be trusted."

Kagome gave Inuyasha's hand a quick squeeze before dropping it. He glanced at her curiously, wondering what she was planning. _Trust me_, her eyes seemed to be telling him. And she left his side to stand close to Jano, tipping her face up almost as if she was asking for his kiss. Confusion flickered across his expression; his eyes grew dark and guarded. Kagome smiled faintly.

"I also believe," she continued in her gentle voice, "that if Sesshomaru ordered you to kill us all, even Sango and her baby, you would do it without hesitation. With regret, yes and guilt, but you would still do it. Look me in the eye and tell me that's not so and I will believe you, Jano. Tell me that and you can stay."

He couldn't do it. Jano sighed, running his hand over his face as he turned away. The girl was right about him. Inuyoukai loyalty didn't fracture easily, if she could feel what he was feeling, she'd know they were wrong about Sesshomaru. But not about him.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," he said roughly. "I can't tell you that."

oOo

"Kagome, what's the matter?"

She had been unusually quiet since Jano had left and that worried Inuyasha. Privately, he was relieved to be rid of the dark inuyoukai and not because he didn't trust his damned brother. He had noticed that Jano deferred almost constantly to Kagome, listened to her. And damn it all, he'd noticed that she respected him too.

He might have just put it down to a civil almost-friendship between them and nothing to be concerned about, but he'd noticed that Jano's eyes tended to linger on Kagome in a decidedly not impersonal way. And damn him again, he'd noticed that Kagome's face lit up whenever Jano made a joke.

_You have nothing to be jealous about, you stupid hanyou_. Inuyasha kept telling himself that but at least he wasn't stupid enough to say anything about it to Kagome. Quietly, he'd suggested to her that they spend some time alone and she'd simply slipped her hand into his. It made Inuyasha feel like nothing could ever be wrong, the way she trusted him so implicitly.

"I'm just..." she sighed, looking up at him with those great big eyes of hers. "I'm wondering if we did the right thing in telling Jano to leave."

Miroku had told him once that the most intelligent thing he could ever do was learn to hold his tongue. At the time, he'd thought the monk was just being snide, but he had gradually learned that if he thought before he spoke, things seemed to go ever so much better for him. At least where Kagome was concerned, hell, she knew he tended to bluster on and say the first thing that popped into his head. She knew that he didn't mean it when he snapped at her. Still, understanding or not, things went better when he controlled his mouth.

Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those times.

"Oh fuck him," Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm glad to have that nosy bastard out of my way."

"Your way?" Kagome looked at him like she was puzzled. "You didn't like him very much, did you? I thought he was kind."

"I bet," he muttered under his breath.

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean? He never did anything to you, Inuyasha. Jano isn't your brother, I never heard him say one bad thing about you."

"That's because he only showed you the side he wanted to see," the hanyou grunted.

Kagome raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. "You're jealous," she pronounced with finality.

"Jealous?" Inuyasha felt his face turn red and ducked away from her piercing gaze. "I got no reason to be jealous of that son of a bitch, Kagome. I...I know...you and me..."

She grinned. "I wasn't talking about that, Inuyasha. I've never seen Jano as anything more than a friend and I'd say he thinks the same of me. I was talking about you and Sesshomaru."

"What?" Inuyasha glared at her, edging closer to where she sat on the grass. "Jealous of Jano because of Sesshomaru? That's crazy, Kagome. You must have hit your head or something."

Kagome laughed, her voice sounding light and happy. "Admit it," she taunted. "If things had been different, if Sesshomaru had been different, you might have liked Jano. I think it bothers you that he's someone your brother has always trusted. And Jano grew up knowing your father. No one would blame you for being jealous of that."

"Bah," he said, mainly because he couldn't think of any better answer. He studied her face, the way her eyes lit up when she talked to him, the way she always seemed to know what he needed to hear, even if he didn't know it himself. He was lucky, too lucky for his good senses. Grinning, he advanced on her, crawling to her side and making her giggle as he practically moved into her lap.

"I don't give a damn about the past," he said, his voice tender and soft. He reached out and traced her cheekbone with the back of his finger. "I only care about right now."

Her arms stole around her neck. "Right now, huh?" she teased, playing with his long hair until her fingers couldn't keep away from his ears any longer. "Is that all you think about?"

"Yeah," he muttered, kissing her suddenly. Kagome's lips opened moistly under his and Inuyasha felt smug satisfaction that she was every bit as willing as he was. It was strange for him, he wasn't used to being so readily accepted by anyone. But Kagome had never been anything else, taking him for what he was and never asking him to change. He didn't have to be anyone else with her.

His hand stole between her legs, making lazy circles on her inner thigh until Kagome sighed and wiggled closer to him. Her hand came down to take his wrist and move his hand until it rested somewhere even more intimate. Inuyasha nibbled lightly on her lower lip, flicking his tongue out to taste her sweetness.

Inuyasha eased her back, craftily starting to play with the fastenings of her bra, when an unwelcome stench invaded his nostrils and he sat back, growling angrily as he searched the forest behind them.

"What is it?" Kagome asked, also sitting up and pulling her shirt down.

He grabbed her wrist none too gently and threw her over his back as he broke into a run. Kagome bounced on his shoulder, digging her hands into his back to keep her balance.

"We've got trouble coming," he snarled.

oOo

"Kohaku?" Sango's voice was soft, pulling him gently from the light doze he'd slipped into. "Are you feeling any better?"

He wasn't, he felt sick. He didn't know why he'd lied, why he'd told Sango that Sesshomaru had forced them out of the fortress. Kohaku's eyes opened and slid over to Rin, who was lying curled up between Kirara's tails. She was whimpering in her sleep, her small shoulders shaking. Miroku sat next to her and continued to stroke her hair from time to time, but it didn't help.

All his fault. Everything was his fault. Hot tears started to leak from his eyes and he felt Sango's cool fingers brush them away. Everything was so messed up, so badly twisted. If only he'd stayed dead the first time that Naraku had killed him, if only there'd never been a reason for Sesshomaru to rescue him from the evil monster. Then she never would have turned to him, fallen for him. She never would have been hurt. She would have grieved for his death, but it would have been a clean grief. And his death would have been clean as well.

His sister's body suddenly stiffened and Kohaku found himself pushed from her lap as she scrambled to her feet. "Miroku," she said tensely. "Something's coming."

The monk jumped up, standing protectively over Rin with Kirara. His hands tensed on his staff, glaring around him. "Is it Sesshomaru?" he asked harshly.

Sango opened her mouth to reply but a host of youkai burst from the forest. A horde of them appeared, slavering and snarling. With a primal growl, Sango threw herself at them, using Hiraikotsu as a cudgel to beat them away from Kohaku. The boy crouched behind her, staring as the monsters advanced. There were so many, Miroku and Sango battled furiously. Kirara's angry yowls filled the air as she joined the fight.

Rin's terrified whimpers echoed in his ears as blood splattered around them. He should go to her, he should join the fight. Still, Kohaku couldn't force his body to move.

"Damn it!"

Inuyasha fell into their midst, letting Kagome slide from his shoulder and the young woman immediately fell to the ground and wrapped her arms around the frightened little girl. Kohaku could hear her soothing the child, but Rin just buried her face in Kagome's chest and sobbed hysterically.

It was all his fault.

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Kohaku!"

Sango spun around and saw her brother running away, scrambling wildly through the thick brush at the edge of the forest. Another demon came snarling at her and she batted it away with one hand, holding Hiraikotsu in her other like a shield.

"Kohaku," she screamed again, desperate to follow him.

Suddenly it was clear to her why he ran, Naraku must have sent these monsters when he found out that Sesshomaru had withdrawn his protection of her brother. Fury filled Sango's heart, damning the daiyoukai for leaving Kohaku vulnerable to that monster again. He was running because he knew they were after him, he knew that the attack was aimed at him. It had to be. Sango fought off another pair of demons, blood splattering her face and hair as she waded through the thick of the fray.

Inuyasha and Miroku could handle this fight without her, she realized. Kagome was still hovering protectively over Rin, but they shouldn't need her purification for a lowly horde like this. They were strong in numbers, but she could tell these were nothing but lesser demons, driven by blind fury but not smart enough to organize themselves into a combined attack. She had to go after him. No matter what else happened, Sango wasn't going to let her brother be captured by that monster again.

"Sango," Kagome shouted, seeing the exterminator suddenly run and bolt into the woods. She stood up, carrying Rin in her arms as she watched Sango disappear. "Inuyasha," she cried. "Sango went after Kohaku."

"Damn it all," the hanyou snarled, tearing apart another demon. Blood covered both of his hands but he hadn't drawn Tessaiga. In close fighting like this, the sword would only hinder him. He couldn't use it freely when one of his friends might be caught in its attack. Kagome scrambled behind them, crawling behind a fallen log with Rin.

The little girl shook, her eyes wide and terrified as she watched the slaughter. Kagome stroked her hair and rubbed her arms. Kagome cursed the fact that she was useless. Her arrows wouldn't do anything, she already knew that. Without her spiritual abilities, she was a pitiful archer and worse, she might strike Inuyasha or Miroku by mistake.

Desperately, she looked back to where Sango had entered the forest. One thing she could do, she could follow Sango and Kohaku and drag them back before the demons realized their forces had been split.

"Stay here," she whispered to Rin. The poor child was crouching behind the fallen log, making herself as small as possible and hiding her eyes. Kagome felt awful about leaving her, but she knew that Inuyasha and Miroku wouldn't let her be hurt. Slinging her bow over her shoulder, Kagome seized her arrows.

"I'm going after Sango," she shouted. "I'll be right back."

"Kagome, don't," Inuyasha yelled over his shoulder. A furious monster leapt at him and he dodged, neatly dismembering the beast and letting the pieces fall around his feet. "Kagome, stay here!"

Ignoring him, she ran off after Sango.

oOo

Sango pushed through the forest, her eyes searching wildly as she tried to track her brother. She was better than most about woodsmanship, she knew how to follow a trail. If that hadn't been enough, her nose was picking up a faint echo of Kohaku's scent. She could smell his dried blood that she'd tried to wipe away, his sweat and his fear.

_When did I learn that_, she wondered, shoving angrily at tree branches. _When did I learn to tell the difference between Kohaku's scent and any others?_ One hand pressed against her belly and Sango felt her blood surge in recognition. She could feel the baby's presence inside her, guiding her. Its youki was alarmed by her leaving the protection of Inuyasha and Miroku's presence, it wailed at her that she was putting them in danger.

"Hush," she muttered, pressing her palm against her belly. She had to find her brother, the protective instinct was growing stronger and the exterminator could tell her child also sensed this, because it quieted.

_Is this real_, she asked herself. _Am I communicating with my unborn child, he or she is really that strong?_ Her pregnancy seemed hardly real to her, a dream, a long awaited dream. For Sango had long thought about the day when she would fall in love and carry the child of that love. Her joy in her unborn baby was only dimmed by the knowledge that the child's father would utterly reject them now.

She had already lost her family, lost her brother once and had him restored to her. Sango's jaw tightened in determination as she pushed on through the thick, foreboding brush of the forest. She did didn't like to lose.

She would not lose again.

oOo

"They just keep coming," Inuyasha grumbled as he sliced apart yet another youkai with little effort. "They aren't even trying to fight, they just keep throwing themselves at us like sheer numbers would drop us."

Miroku flung a sutra into the advancing horde and said a quick prayer. The paper glowed brightly before shattering into a multicolored burst of light as several demons were destroyed at once.

"They do seem to be pacing themselves," the monk replied at last. He swung his staff widely, it taking hardly any effort for him to defend himself from the onslaught. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as another seemingly endless stream of demons appeared to take the place of the fallen.

"It's definitely Naraku's doing," Miroku commented, seeking Inuyasha's annoyed gaze. "The question is, why is he wasting these on us? Naraku can attack much more strongly if he wished. It's almost like he's trying to keep us busy."

"Keep us busy?" Inuyasha glared menacingly at the attacking monsters. When he stood still, they milled about, only engaging him when he actively tried to destroy them. His lip curled slightly. "It has to be a trick," he muttered. "The minute we drop our guard, these things are going to go for the kill. Maybe he thinks if he wears us down, we won't be able to fight when it really matters."

Miroku nodded. He spun around and cleared three demons from his path with a single blow. He looked over at Inuyasha and found himself matching the hanyou's grim smile. "Either that or he's got something worse planned."

oOo

Kagome wiped sweat from her forehead and pulled on a branch. She had taken a lot for granted while traveling with Inuyasha. For instance, she'd never thought about how he always was in front when they went into a dangerous area. How he always cleared the path for them, not just of enemies, but also of branches and brambles. His claws made short work of any vegetation, but Kagome knew she'd never commented on it or praised his consideration for his human companions.

That had to change, she admonished herself. He was so precious to her, so vulnerable in his own way. She thought that making mention of the small things he did without thinking might be the key to letting him know he was always appreciated. She grinned without realizing it, for years the cocky attitude had fooled her. Inuyasha put up such a good show about not caring about anything, brushing aside compliments like so many flies that had annoyed him.

Unless it involved fighting a big monster with Tessaiga, she had noticed that Inuyasha wasn't inclined to brag about anything. He bragged about the Tessaiga, about how he could use the mystical sword. But she wondered again, what he really felt. It was possible that much of his suspicion was just his own insecurity. Jano had brought all that insecurity and past rejection to the forefront when he'd suggested they go to the fortress.

Kagome understood inuyoukai better now; she'd had to learn in just the few days they'd spent among Sesshomaru's people. Inuyoukai were blunt, some gruff to the point of unfriendliness, even the kind Makiko seemed to treat her with a guarded respect. Kagome wondered what they'd really thought of their lord's choice in mates. Had they been appalled just by her humanity, or was there something else hiding behind those curious stares? She hadn't had a chance to figure that out.

Still, they'd taught her volumes about Inuyasha, even as a hanyou she could tell that he should have been treated as a prince among his own people. She had expected more resistance, more tough brashness like they'd had from the young demon Yasuke. His father Hisuni had been what she had been expecting.

The majority of the people had been accepting of Inuyasha even as a hanyou. His human companions were seen as more suspect, she was sure, but she could still recall the sensuousness of Hiromi's voice when she'd commented that Inuyasha's human heritage meant nothing when compared to his youkai bloodline.

She was still thinking hard about that when she suddenly felt a very cold breeze. It washed over her, making her stop in her tracks and shiver. A fetid smell reached her nostrils and Kagome started, turned around, and saw him. The primal reaction was one of fear, absolute loathing and terror. The creature in front of her was nothing like a normal demon and she could see herself reflected in eyes that danced like black flames.

"What are you?" the young priestess breathed.

His smile was pure evil; darkness billowed from him like a shroud. Instead of answering, he reached out one dead white hand, tipped with long black claws. Kagome flinched away, not wanting him to touch her. It made her skin crawl.

"Don't run," he said, in a voice that sounded like oil poured over sandpaper. "I'll catch you, girl. You won't like it."

Kagome kept backing away from him, not really making an effort to escape, but filled with a human instinct to put as much difference between herself and this unclean thing as possible. "What are you?" she whispered again. "You're inuyoukai, but you're not."

He smiled at that and through his ravaged features, she got the impression he might have once been handsome. His hair was a matted mass of darkness that trailed over his shoulders. His arms were like tree branches, thick with muscle and taut pale skin stretched over his powerful frame. The demon's clothing was torn in places, shredded and stained with the blood of too many victims to count. Kagome shivered again and felt her heart turn over when he flicked a dark red tongue over his pale lips and looked at her intensely.

"You're a pretty thing," he muttered, his eyes pulling on her skin as he looked at her legs. Kagome felt defiled, having such a creature look at her. She wanted to run, to hide her face and cringe away. There was no way, no way at all, she couldn't survive if he wanted to...

"It's a pity I can't play with you," the dark demon rumbled. "You'd die from it and Naraku wants you alive. For now."

"Naraku?" Kagome burst out. "He sent you after me?"

"Yes," he hissed. "The other demons were just to distract your friends, you are my prey this time, priestess. You will come to me now." He held out a hand with the air of someone who is used to being obeyed and for a moment, she saw something of the command he'd once had. This was a creature that had been feared by all that knew him, loathed by those who knew him best. Kagome shuddered and turned away, unable to keep looking at him. She had no defenses, no way to save herself.

_Inuyasha_, she thought, closing her eyes to pray. _Where are you?_

A cold hand clamped onto her shoulder and Kagome started, twisted away from him and tried to pry his fingers from her flesh. "No, please," she cried as he reached for her.

"Get your damn hands off of her!"

Kagome saw a pale blur as Hiraikotsu spun over her head. The demon snarled and ducked, letting go of her suddenly and shoving her towards the ground. "Someone wants to play," he hissed.

Sango's expression was dark and forbidding as she caught the spinning boomerang in her hand. Deliberately, not a trace of fear in her face, she stepped between Kagome and the monster.

"If you want her," the exterminator ground out, fury filling her eyes. "You're going to have to get through me first."


	41. FortyOne

_**Chapter FortyOne**_

He gazed at her hungrily, making her skin crawl. Sango didn't drop her readiness or her attention from him for a single second. She knew that he was no ordinary demon.

That was fine. She was no ordinary demon slayer.

"Are you going to fight me, girl?" he whispered. Sango had to force herself to meet his eyes; it wasn't easy, yet she managed. Her soul went chill when she did. She was no monk like Miroku or a priestess like Kagome, but she could feel the evil radiating from him. An exterminator was trained not only to be able to fight, but to hone her instincts and pay attention to her surroundings.

_In that way_, Sango thought with a wry sense of justice, _exterminators are much like the youkai they hunt_. She'd been a fool, an absolute fool, to have ever fallen in love with a demon. She was a fool to have trusted him; she was a fool to have let herself fall so hard for something that could never return her feelings.

Damn him to hell.

For that matter, damn her too because she kept on loving him and hating it the whole time. She wanted to go to him now, even if she damned him herself.

"Yes, I'm going to fight you," she said, her voice hard and final. She raised Hiraikotsu over her head, dropping into a crouch with one hand on her sword hilt. "I'm going to kill you...demon."

He swung at her then, just like she expected him to. Sango's feet left the ground, hurling Hiraikotsu with all of her strength. Her best bet was to cleave him in two early in their combat. He'd be watching for her fighting style just as much as she was watching for his. The weapon sailed neatly through the air and came within less than an inch of clipping his face.

Best to let him know that just intimidation wouldn't work. She drew her katana and jumped into the air, catching Hiraikotsu every bit as neatly as she had thrown it. He hadn't answered her yet and that bothered her. Youkai liked to boast and they liked to threaten. Instead this most loathsome monster only stared at her.

"Are you a youkai exterminator?" he asked, his deep voice silky with malice. Sango stared as he smiled at her then slowly licked his claws. "This is good, it will be fun."

"I'm not afraid of you," she said in a challenging tone.

The demon laughed, a coarse and mocking sound, aged with hatred and cruelty. "I think you will be afraid," he said, his eyes lighting at her determination. "By the time I let you die, you will be very afraid of me."

He dropped to one knee, mocking her again, and flexed his claws. "Come at me, little girl. Let's see how good you are."

In one swift movement, she leapt at him, hurling Hiraikotsu with all her strength and screaming what could only be interpreted as a youkai battle cry. He batted her weapon away easily, dodged the edge of her sharp katana. Sango whirled as he grabbed for her and landed a stinging kick right to his malevolent face.

The youkai stopped, staring at her as she dropped panting to the ground. His smile twisted slightly as he licked his own blood off his lips. "You are good," he murmured, seemingly pleased with her performance. Sango held herself ready as he knelt to lift Hiraikotsu, examining it interestedly. Then he threw it at her feet.

"Pick it up," the demon ordered, his eyes burning with that cold fire. "Let's go again."

Sango felt her own mouth twist in an imitation of his smile as she leaned forward to lift Hiraikotsu.

"Sango, don't!" Kagome shouted, still standing behind her friend. "Run away, don't fight him!"

"You shut up," he said, pointing a long black claw in the girl's direction. "I will deal with you next, priestess. Just wait your turn."

Sango hissed, instincts she'd never felt before burning to life inside of her. "There's not going to be any next," she snarled, holding Hiraikotsu in one hand and her blade in the other. "I am your only opponent, you demon scum!"

He smirked, licking his lips again. "You're very beautiful," he whispered, edging closer to her. "If I had more time, I'd play with you. But Naraku's demons can't keep your friends busy forever. I'm going to have to kill you much faster than I'd like."

"Try it," Sango ground out, her voice almost as harsh as his. She spun Hiraikotsu in the air to distract him and then hurled her sword, aiming for his black heart. It found its mark, sticking out of him grotesquely as he rushed her with a snarl.

Sango leapt out of his way, nimble as she dodged and ducked the furious claw strikes that aimed for her throat, her stomach. She tumbled in the air with an agile grace that spoke of many years of practice, coming out of a crouch to use Hiraikotsu as a shield when he struck at her.

Over and over, his fists crashed against her weapon, Sango losing ground as he never gave her more than a half a second to recover. The dark demon laughed, enjoying their combat. With an angry snarl, she planted Hiraikotsu in the ground and vaulted over it. This time he saw her kick coming and struck her hard, knocking her to the ground. Sango scrambled up, pulling Hiraikotsu free as he came at her.

"Bitch," he hissed, pulling back his fist. Sango flung her weapon up to block it and this time, Hiraikotsu shattered under the force of his blow. Sango fell hard to the ground as bits of varnished centipede bone rained down upon her. She rolled to the side as he drove his claws into the ground, kicked him hard in the stomach as he loomed near. He growled and scrambled after her as she crawled away, rolling to defend herself.

A heavy fist seized her by her hair and wrenched her to her feet. Sango let her hair take her weight and crashed both feet into his abdomen to free herself. She cried out in rage and drove her fist into his face. He laughed and then she wrenched her blade free of his chest.

He smiled and looked down at the dark blood that pooled from the wound. "Come, girl," he whispered menacingly. "Let's end this now."

"Yes," she snarled and ran at him, her sword raised high for a killing blow.

He evaded her strike and turned swiftly, driving his fist into her face. Sango dropped like a stone, unconscious. With a soft growl of pleasure, the demon knelt over her, lifting the exterminator's body with one hand while his claws went for her neck. Just as he was about to tear her apart, he stopped, sniffing at her blood. A confused look crossed the demon's face as he held her, staring at down her limp form.

Slowly, he brushed the hair away from her face. She was human, but what this scent of a demon's blood about her? His hand trailed thoughtfully over her body, resting on her belly. Ah, so that was it. How...interesting.

"Get away from her!"

He glanced up, seeing that the priestess had drawn her bow. His eyes flicked back to the exterminator, noting again that she was indeed lovely. Simply a shame to murder her.

"I said get away from Sango!" He raised his eyes to the girl, scenting her fear. Carefully, he placed the young woman on the ground. The priestess was shaking; there was no confidence in the way she held her weapon. No matter, he had business to attend to and decided that he could leave the matter of the exterminator for later.

Smiling, he faced her. "Are you going to fight me as well, child?" he asked mockingly, folding his arms over his chest as he approached her. "It would be wise of you to come quietly, Naraku wants you alive but he said nothing of uninjured. It would be a pity to spoil any of that smooth white skin."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she spat, sounding braver but he noted that her hands were still trembling. "And you're not touching Sango!"

"Sango," he murmured thoughtfully, licking his lips with a dark red tongue. "That is indeed a lovely name, it suits the warrior well." He spread his arms wide. "Why have you not fired, priestess? Do you hesitate to slay me?"

Kagome swallowed hard, glancing around her. It had been stupid of her to run off without Inuyasha and Miroku; she'd hoped that Sango's battle would buy enough time for them to follow her. _Stupid, stupid_, she chanted to herself. _Forget about what Kikyou said_, she thought firmly. _I'm not backing down_.

He kept moving closer, slowly, watching her carefully. "I wonder what Naraku wants from you, little girl. Something unpleasant, but that is not my concern."

"Why are you working for him?" the girl asked, the fear in her eyes receding as curiosity took its place. "What has he promised you? Who are you really?"

The demon smiled, chilling her with the sadistic pleasure he took in answering. "I'm not working for him, I'm just doing what I enjoy. He has promised me nothing, only the chance to shed as much blood as I please. As for who I am..." he trailed off, thoughtful as he considered the question.

"Not even I know my own name, but one thing I do know."

"What?" she breathed.

"You're out of time." He was suddenly rushing her and Kagome fired her arrow blindly, watching as it lit the dim and gloomy forest with a powerful light. She gaped, wondering what the hell was happening, as she had believed Kikyou when she said that her priestess abilities were gone. The arrow buried itself in his chest and the demon stopped, looking down at the shaft as it continued to glow.

Kagome held her breath, praying to whatever gods might be listening. But the light slowly faded, bleeding away from him and he reached up and yanked the arrow from his body. The arrow crumbled in his grip and fell to the ground, her eyes following the shattered pieces of wood.

"You cannot purify something like me," he said quietly and she thought she heard regret in his voice. "My soul is born of darkness and my heart as black as night. Even a priestess like yourself should understand that."

Then he cast out his hand and a thin green mist flowed from his fingers. Kagome scrambled backward to avoid it, fearing the youki with an instinct that she couldn't identify but absolutely believed. She gasped the power touched her, suddenly falling into a murky darkness that held no escape.

He stood for a moment, eying the bodies of the two young women and sighed.

Far too easy.

oOo

The forest was peaceful, quiet and serene. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the trees and in the distance, birdsong and the chatter of small animals danced on the edge of his perception. It was a perfect day.

And Sesshomaru was pissed.

He'd been trying, unsuccessfully, to track the presence that he'd sensed earlier. It had made short work of Barou and that alone made him wary. Despite his peaceful nature, Barou was no ordinary youkai to be battered about like a leaf in the wind. The fact that he'd been so easily defeated disturbed Sesshomaru immensely. His cousin wasn't a warrior, but he was adept and quite capable of defending himself. Whatever had struck him down had to be amazingly powerful.

Again he felt the presence slip away, sliding like silk from his mental grip. Sesshomaru cursed silently and inventively, using several words that he personally hadn't heard used since his father's death. Why was it that Inutaisho's memory hung so heavily in his mind these days?

Sesshomaru was not sentimental and not inclined to spend his time thinking of the past. He was especially not minded to think upon his father.

For all that he'd rather eat glass than admit to it, he had missed his father profoundly when Inutaisho had died. Not only because of the bloody mess his passing had made of his territory, a mess that he, Sesshomaru, had been forced to deal with, but also because of so many times he'd felt cheated.

He'd felt cheated in the fact that he'd never understood his father, never really been able to wrap his mind around the mysterious nature of the youkai lord. It was that understanding, its lack, which made him so resent his brother's birth.

_Yes, it was Inuyasha's fault_, he decided. Having been able to successfully put Inutaisho from his mind for so many years, it was understandable that his brother's presence at the fortress would have triggered such memories. They really did look remarkably alike.

If it weren't for the distressingly human scent of his brother's blood, he would have even thought his brother to be their father reborn.

Sesshomaru snorted, disgusted by the maudlin turn of his thoughts. He had enough to think about without pondering his brother. Annoying brat of a half-breed, contemptuous and rude by even human standards, it was an embarrassment. Although he freely admitted that Inuyasha's lack of social graces was more his fault than anyone else's. After his anger over his father's death had abated, he might have even sought out his brother to return him to their people.

It hadn't been possible. The territories had been thrown into a violent civil war by Inutaisho's death and to bring a vulnerable child into such a conflict would have been a death sentence. He'd left Inuyasha to the humans, thinking that at least then his brother's birth might have been left secret to his enemies.

Weak children like that were liabilities, sentiment was a liability, and at the time, Sesshomaru hadn't had the power to protect his father's half-breed son.

_Fool_, he told himself, stalking angrily through the forest. Fool to have ever considered protecting him in the first place. He should have drowned the brat himself. He should have killed Naota for his betrayal. He should have made sure to never place himself in the position where he might care so much for any creature as to be made vulnerable.

Now he found himself trying to track a dark monster that was hunting in his territory, find the elusive evil before it could touch what was his. His mate was somewhere out there and he would not risk...

Sesshomaru stopped, an uncharacteristic expression of frustration crossing his face. His mate, his wife, the mother of his own hanyou offspring. No doubt his father would be amused by this circumstance, his son being forced to run the forest in search of a danger that would threaten his human wife.

Why did it have to be Sango that lit his soul and warmed his isolation? Why couldn't she have been a youkai instead of a human woman? For that matter, what had he been thinking when he had decided to make love to her that first time? He told himself that it was only her passionate offer, the curiosity of having such a woman give herself to him so freely.

It was his youkai instinct to blame, that darkness within him that was a source of strength and power. It had reacted to her, engulfed his heart with passion, moved him to the point where it demanded that he claim her, make her his, have her bear the child that would be his heir. A half-breed, half human, half demon, but his child all the same.

She would be his downfall, he was certain. And still he couldn't shake the taste of her from his mind. Impossible that he would be moved so much, illogical and impossible. Then she had defied him and that made him want her all the more. He should have destroyed her for that, but he could not. His youkai instinct would not allow it; his heart was as selfish as ever.

Sango belonged to him and that had trapped him. And for the first time in his very long life, he was glad of it.

Damn it, again he'd lost the scent, been distracted from his prey. What kind of monster could be so adept at hiding itself from him? Sesshomaru swore again and began to search, salving his mind with thought of Naraku's destruction. The abomination would pay for this, provoking him when he should have had his mind occupied by more important matters.

So, thus distracted, Sesshomaru did not sense that he was observed or notice that a human had stepped behind him until he heard the soft rattle of a chain.

"Sesshomaru-sama."

He turned, a frown crossing his brow at the recognition of the voice. The boy faced him fearlessly, a cool and arrogant smile on his face. At the boy's hand was a drawn blade, sickle shaped and Sesshomaru was annoyed.

"Kohaku," he said coldly. "You should not have left the fortress."

To his surprise, the boy laughed at him. "I don't follow your orders. I have come to challenge you!"

Sesshomaru stood silently for a moment. Had the boy lost his mind? He had actually expected some kind of reaction from Kohaku regarding what had transpired with his sister, but a challenge?

"Leave me." He turned away deliberately. "I do not have time for your childish games. Return to the fortress immediately before I grow angry."

The sound of Kohaku's blade cutting air got his attention and it was only Sesshomaru's youkai reflexes that allowed him to step out of the way before the sharp edge caught him. His eyes narrowed in irritation as the boy yanked the chain back, the handle of the blade falling into his waiting hand with a muffled slap.

"I should have done this from the beginning," Kohaku hissed. "I should have done this the first time you touched my sister. I won't let you play with her any longer!"

The blade sailed again and this time Sesshomaru didn't hesitate, he caught it deftly and pulled sharply on the chain. Kohaku was caught off guard and staggered forward, his movements far clumsier than were normal. With a graceful motion, Sesshomaru looped the chain around the boy's arms and dragged him forward.

"You are being foolish," Sesshomaru murmured down at the struggling young man. "I am bound by Tenseiga to not kill you, Kohaku, but that doesn't mean I have to hold back if you annoy me. Once again, I ask that you obey me and leave this place. I do not have time to answer childish grudges."

Kohaku laughed harshly and fell to his knees. He looked up at the demon and Sesshomaru frowned again. Something was wrong, there was madness in the boy's expression and bruises all over his face. Someone had injured him.

"What happened to you?" he asked, seething at the idea that any of his people might be responsible.

The boy didn't answer, but continued to struggle against the chain until Sesshomaru released him, afraid he would further injure himself. Breathing hard, Kohaku staggered away from him, gathering the chain slowly in his hands.

"I have to kill you," he said, his voice dull. "I have to kill you for Sango. I...I have to protect her."

The blade flew again and Sesshomaru stepped aside. The boy then dropped the chain and ran at the demon lord, striking him with his fists. The youkai simply allowed the attack, letting Kohaku bloody his hands on his armor in a pathetically weak attack. Something was very wrong; something didn't strike true with him. The boy seemed to be in some kind of pain, his eyes were blank even as tears streamed from them.

He caught Kohaku by his hair and pushed him away. He fell hard to his knees, panting as if he couldn't catch his breath. It confused the demon lord, as he knew that Kohaku shouldn't be struggling this much.

"Tell me what happened," he said softly. "Why have you come for me now, Kohaku? What drove you from the fortress?"

The boy stilled, not looking at him. "It's my fault she met you," he said in a small, painful voice. "It's my fault, if you hadn't freed me from Naraku, none of this would have happened. She wouldn't be in danger, she wouldn't be getting hurt."

"Who is hurting her?" Sesshomaru demanded, his heart suddenly filled with fear. "What have you seen, Kohaku? Who endangers your sister?"

The boy stood slowly, taking the blade in his hand again. "You did. You put that baby inside her, now he's interested in it. You shouldn't have ever..."

Kohaku raised his chin and this time Sesshomaru could see the madness in his eyes. Slowly, the boy brought the sharp edge of his weapon up again and started to advance. "One of us has to die," he whispered. "I won't stop until you kill me, Sesshomaru."

And he attacked again.

oOo

Far too easy. Once again he was disappointed, but the encounter was not a complete loss. He found the exterminator...fascinating. She fought well, her heart was strong. And she carried the seed of a youkai within her womb. He looked down at his dead white hands, the long sharp claws that reeked of blood. Perhaps this was what had been eluding him. He wanted her. A mate. A child. He would make them both his own.

He didn't know his own name or who he'd been in his life. He didn't even know how long he'd lain dead under that mountain. The creature that called himself Naraku had sought him out, found him trapped and sealed within a death that was not death, a peace that was no peace. He only knew hunger, a lust for violence and pain. If that suited this Naraku, the one that had broken the seal of his tomb, so be it. He served no one.

He was death. He was the darkness itself, the vileness of pain and vengeance, cruel lusts and unforgivable acts. But this woman, this demon slayer. She was beautiful and strong; it was the fire within her that had taken his interest. If she'd been lesser, he would have overpowered her from the beginning instead of allowing her to spar with him. He would have enjoyed the screams she made and then torn her throat out as he thrust himself inside her. Yes. That is how it should be, how it had been so many times in the past.

Until now.

No matter. Naraku wished the priestess for his own purposes, purposes that the dark youkai had no interest in. No use for a jewel that contained the souls of lesser demons. Likewise he had no interest in the priestess, she radiated a purity of heart that repelled him. A woman like that would be used and thrown away quickly, valued for her innocence or her pain. He'd destroyed enough of purity to become bored with it.

Kneeling, he reached out a hand to touch her face. A bruise marred her cheek where he'd struck her, but it only enhanced her beauty. She would be intolerably lovely once she'd been broken and hurt enough. Then the hint of darkness he sensed within her heart would overpower her and she would surrender herself to him. He would raise her child as his own, teaching it to enjoy the pleasure of pure defilement.

He was darkness; he was the worms that had feasted upon his flesh. He could father no offspring. It mattered not that the child wouldn't be of his body. He would be the un-father, the darkness that ate at innocence. This beautiful creature would become his in every way he desired and their child, yes, their child, would become a mirror of his absolute night. Tenderly, he stroked her cheek, wishing that she would wake so that he could see the terror in her eyes.

"My love," he whispered, leaning close. Her lips would taste of sunlight, her skin of delicate petals. Her flesh would warm his grave-cold body until for a moment, just the briefest moment, he might remember what it felt like to be alive. For now he would only give her the briefest kiss, to seal what would become a marriage sanctified by the beasts of hell alone.

"So you're the monster I've heard so much about," a lazy voice drawled. "A bit of a disappointment."

He glanced up and saw a demon coming towards him. _Inuyoukai_, his nose told him. He hated the very stench of them. The inuyoukai's living blood annoyed him, brought something to the surface of his hatred and burning agony. He had not chosen this resurrection, he had not chosen to walk among the living once again.

And he was sure of only one thing, sure as he knew the taste of blood of his lips. It was a dog demon that had sealed his soul within that cave. His body had fallen to decay, rotting as once living flesh would do, but a power that surpassed him had left his restless spirit alive to suffer.

For revenge.

He could almost taste his blood even now.

oOo

The boy came at him again and again. Sesshomaru found himself growing angry, each time dodging Kohaku's attacks but not retaliating. He sensed that he was being distracted from his true intent and wondered at Kohaku's part in it. The thought enraged him and for a moment he paused to get control of youkai nature before he struck blindly in his fury.

It was only for a moment that he let his attention wander but it was enough. The sickle flashed, hurled with an accuracy that had been both trained and bred into this son of exterminators. Sesshomaru hissed in fury as the blade at last found its target and a thin slice appeared in the silk of his sleeve.

"I told you," Kohaku panted, his eyes alight with a manic glee. "Don't disregard me as you did my sister!"

"For the last time," Sesshomaru snarled, his eyes flashing crimson as the scent of his own blood filled his nostrils. "I do not disregard her or dishonor her. She is my mate!"

The blade was thrown again, the boy's body moving as a blur towards him. "She's too good for a filthy demon like you!"

"You forget your place, human," the youkai hissed and struck Kohaku hard. "I answer to no one for my actions!"

Red filled his gaze as he attacked the boy in return, his hand flashing with power as he drove the young exterminator back. Battle fury filled him; he wanted to punish Kohaku for his insolence, for his betrayal in attacking him. He should never have bothered to save the life of a human boy, he should never have let himself be seduced or made vulnerable by a thoughtless act of compassion. He was Sesshomaru, he needed no one, and he protected nothing.

He caught the boy by the throat and wrenched him off his feet. "I spared your life and you repay me with betrayal and accusations. For this you will pay, Kohaku. Your insults will cost you your life!"

Kohaku no longer struggled; the sickle had fallen at their feet. The boy's eyes were wide, but unafraid. "This is your true nature," he whispered. "You don't love her, you never did."

"It has nothing to do with her," Sesshomaru shouted, finding his icy reserve melted by his anger and a strange, sick confusion that was writhing in his heart like a snake. Tenseiga wailed at his hip, screaming at the perversion that its master would dare to slay what he had saved.

The pain of Tenseiga's protest drove reason from Sesshomaru's mind, all he could see was the face of his enemy, this mere boy who questioned his honor, his intentions. The insult could not be tolerated!

Caught in his hand, he could feel Kohaku's pulse beating against his fingers as he held him. Only a squeeze, the barest release of his power and this boy would die. And not be resurrected. Tenseiga allowed for no regrets, Tenseiga would never serve him to restore a life he had taken in such anger. The sword cried at him in pain and fury, beating against the back of his mind like a cudgel.

"She loves you," Kohaku husked, seeming to relax in his grip. "She's a fool that way, continuing to love those who hurt her."

"Shut up," Sesshomaru hissed, squeezing the boy's throat. Yes, this is what he should have done in the beginning, the first time they'd met so long ago. When Kohaku had been under Naraku's control, when he'd been no more than a simple tool. Before Sesshomaru had made such an impossible decision. That to release a human child from the hands of a monster in order to repay a debt.

Kohaku's eyes were glassy, the demon lord could feel the life he'd restored slowly draining away, flowing into the mists of memory and time. How many humans had he killed in the past? One more would make no difference.

_Kill me_, the boy's eyes told him. _Kill me and be done with it. Let her go_.

Let her go. Do the one thing she cannot forgive. Prove to her that you are the demon she fears, the monster who stalks the night. Show her that she truly was meaningless, nothing to him despite his words and his desire for her.

Sesshomaru gasped, a tearing pain in his heart as Tenseiga burst into power without being drawn. He felt himself being sucked into the blade's youki; he felt the power of his father's will surrounding him. He had not felt this sensation since the first time his katana had shielded him from his brother's Tessaiga. This sensation...this pull...

Tenseiga wasn't trying to save Kohaku. It was trying to save him.

With a shout, he regained control of himself and threw the boy to the ground, falling to his knees in sudden weakness when the youki of his father's will released him. Kohaku lay on his back, his eyes blank and cold as he stared up at the perfect blue sky.

"You disappoint me, Sesshomaru," a voice said quietly. "That you would suffer such insults and expose your weakness to me so completely. What a fool to harbor such sentimental feelings. I had expected better."

He glanced to his side, unsurprised to see a white baboon pelt half hidden in the shadows. It faded away slowly, only an image, a puppet that disappeared like smoke escaping from a funeral pyre. It left nothing but ashes in its wake and Sesshomaru tasted their bitterness on his tongue.

Sickened, he realized that he had been manipulated and looked down at the boy he had nearly slain. The pale face, the bruises, and the way the boy's eyes seemed to hold pain like a vessel would hold water or wine. Those eyes were blank as if Kohaku's soul had been sealed away, but the resemblance was enough to trigger more than just the desire to spare his life.

For the first time, he realized that Kohaku had his sister's eyes. This pain was something he could recognize; he'd seen it when he'd cast Sango from his life. Those eyes should have been filled with passion and love, but he had betrayed her. Just as he had nearly betrayed himself in a moment of rage.

How had he failed to notice that the boy was again under Naraku's spell? He had been tricked, nearly made a puppet to serve the wicked master's needs. Nothing could have made him angrier; in sheer fury he should have destroyed this boy. And in doing so, he would have only destroyed the woman that he loved.

_Loved?_

_I love her? _

"I am tired of your games, Naraku," he whispered, holding his voice smooth and emotionless by sheer will. Inside, he wanted to scream and rend, destroy the world and everything in it. Destruction could not serve him now.

Slowly he stood, leaving Kohaku on the ground and turning away. "I am not such a fool as you may think," he said bitterly. "If you wish to destroy the exterminator's feelings for me, you could have chosen a less obvious way."

More than ever, he needed to find her, look at her, and speak to her. He may have been made a fool, but he was a fool by his own choice in this regard. His palm slipped to the hilt of Tenseiga as he stalked into the forest. A demon that had looked for solace in nothing found himself strangely comforted by the familiar shape.

oOo

He had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well. Jano grit his teeth, resisting the urge to run. The aura of evil that radiated from the monster was overwhelming, all of his instincts screamed at him to run away from this unclean thing. He couldn't do it; he had a promise to keep. He would defend Sango or die trying.

"So," he said, keeping his tone light and mocking. "You only fight women? I can't say I blame you, they're much easier on the eyes, but it does strike me as cowardly."

"Are you challenging me?" the monster hissed, flicking sharp claws in his direction.

Jano laughed, exuding humor that he didn't feel. "Challenge you? Not hardly, a challenge implies some kind of contest, respect for one's opponent. I'm just thinking that you're starting to stink up this nice, clean forest."

To his surprise, his insult seemed to amuse the monster. "There will be no contest, I don't have time to really enjoy a fight with you. If you run away now, I might forget to follow. Then you won't have to taste a painful death."

Jano scratched his head, pretending to consider the option. "Sorry," he said at last, shrugging as he pulled his blade. "I'm really not smart enough to run away. Looks like I'm just going to have to annoy you with making you fight."

The monster moved like a flash, sending a bright streak of youki at him. Jano rolled to evade it, coming up well inside the bastard's guard. He landed a hard punch to the ravaged white face, using his hilt of his blade to strike him between the eyes. To his utter surprise, the monster didn't even flinch or react.

A thin trickle of blood slid down the dark youkai's face and Jano found himself staring as his opponent brought a finger to it and wiped it away. His stomach twisted slightly as the monster licked thoughtfully at the blood, seeming to relish the taste.

"I don't suppose you'd like to surrender now?" Jano asked.

Licking his pale lips, the monster smiled, showing impossibly long and sharp teeth. _What the hell is he_, Jano wondered furiously, gripping the hilt of his sword. _That blow should have dropped him in his tracks. At the very least he could have cursed or something_.

"I think," the monster said softly, his eyes like black flames that wanted to burrow into Jano's body and eat his very soul. "That I'm already tired of you. This ends now."

"What?" Jano glared at him, fuming. "I'll take your ugly head off and cram my fist down your filthy neck!"

He rushed again and the youkai turned away from him, blocking him with a shoulder that seemed made of stone. Sudden pain tore though Jano, exploding between his ribs like the fires of hell. He looked down and realized that the creature had buried his claws in his belly. A strange floating sensation filled him and he realized that his opponent had released a corrosive poison inside his body. He stood frozen as the monster pulled his hand back, his fingers gleaming wetly with blood.

"I told you I didn't have time to play, " the dark demon said, reaching out to touch Jano's face with bloody fingers. Jano shuddered, unable to move, his body already going numb save for the burning, gnawing agony in the pit of his belly.

He fell heavily to his knees, looking down in abstract fascination as he watched his entrails slide from the mortal wound and flop wetly to the ground. Interesting, he'd never thought to see something like that. Makiko was going to be absolutely furious with him for dying like this.

"The poison works quickly," the demon told him as he stepped aside. Jano could only watch in paralyzed anger as the dark monster lifted first Kagome and then Sango to his shoulders.

"If the poison doesn't kill you first, you will have the pleasure of watching yourself bleed to death," the beast informed him pleasantly as he walked away. "I suggest you take the time to make peace with your soul. A slow death leaves much more time for reflection. You may consider it my gift to you, for amusing me with your foolish challenge."

_The hell_, Jano thought sullenly as he fell over on his side. A huge pool of blood was already surrounding him and he couldn't tell if it was loss of blood or the poison that was making him dizzy. His vision was fading quickly, darkness falling in the bright light of day.

Makiko was definitely never going to forgive him for this, he decided. With an effort, he managed to mouth an apology to the empty air and felt his eyelids slide closed as he fought to imagine her face for one last moment.

There were worse things to see in death.


	42. FortyTwo

_**Chapter FortyTwo**_

"I smell dog-breath!" Kouga shouted joyfully.

Naota groaned and wished he'd never decided to follow this stupid wolf in the first place. They'd been running in circles for two days, blindly catching scent after scent. Naota knew they were spiraling in some kind of odd pattern, but he couldn't place what seemed so familiar about it.

_Stupid wolf has me confused_, he decided grumpily.

"No, I smell him," Kouga called back to him. "I smell Inuyasha, that dog turd!"

Naota stopped his headlong run and planted his feet. Ginta and Hakkaku nearly crashed into him; he could hear them stumble to a halt as they tried to catch their breath. Fury poured off his body like sweat and Naota snarled with every bit of his inuyoukai heritage showing in his anger.

"We aren't searching for Inuyasha, you stupid fuck!"

Kouga stopped and glowered at him but Naota was too tired and too angry to care. "We're looking for that son of bitch that's been slaughtering everything in its path. Have you forgotten who beat the shit out of you?"

Kouga spat on the ground and folded his arms, turning away from him. "I don't care about that son of a bitch," he muttered darkly. "My Kagome is with him."

"Here we go again," Ginta muttered in a loud aside to Hakkaku.

"I'm so tired of hearing it.'

_Not as tired as I am_, Naota thought grimly.

"So this is about running after some girl that doesn't even love you?" he asked sarcastically.

Kouga glared at him. His face turned dark red and his eyes flashed with fury. "I know she doesn't love me," he spat, taking his companions aback with this confession. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going to stop caring about her just because…just because she thinks she loves that stupid mutt!"

Naota stared at him, seeing a glimmer of pain behind Kouga's anger. His annoyance slowly faded away, a grim ache left in its place. _How long has it been since you cared about anyone that much_, he asked himself. _How long has it been since you would have died to protect her, gave up everything just to be with her. Even though it wasn't your baby she chose to bear?_

He shook his head hard, clearing out the bitter memories. She'd turned to him in desperation and need, but she hadn't loved him. Over the years, he'd had several wives, women he had cared for, women who had borne his children. Each had loved him with all of their hearts even though he couldn't completely return their feelings. Each time he outlived one of his mortal brides, stood with her grieving children as a monk said words over their ashes, he had again been flooded with guilt.

They had loved him, and he didn't return it. Just as Kouga so obviously loved Kagome although she didn't return it. Just as the woman he had loved so much had given her heart to a youkai lord who couldn't accept her feelings. Was there anything as bittersweet or worthwhile as an unrequited love?

Striding purposefully toward the wolf, he met Kouga's eyes. "Let's go find them then," he said quietly.

oOo

"That seems to be the last of them," Miroku panted as he wiped his forehead.

Inuyasha's face twisted at the overwhelming stench of blood. "Good," he said darkly, turning to stare into the forest. "Let's get going, we need to catch up to Kagome and Sango. Damn them for running after that kid anyway, don't they have any brains?"

"I wouldn't say that in Kagome's hearing," Miroku commented. "Insulting your mate is never wise, Inuyasha."

"Who's insulting her?" Inuyasha demanded, glowering at the monk. "I told her to stay here and she just ran off like an idiot. Sango I can understand, but damn it, why couldn't Kagome just do what I told her?"

Miroku grinned at him. "Because she wouldn't be Kagome if she did."

Inuyasha snorted and reached down to touch Rin's shoulder. The little girl was still crouched beside the log where Kagome had left her. "Hey," he said, his voice much gentler. "You okay? You're safe now, Rin."

When she didn't respond, the hanyou knelt beside her and tried to pull her into his arms. "Just ride on my back then," he said, uneasy with the way her eyes looked so shocked and frightened. "It's all over…"

Rin darted away from him like he was diseased, running to Kirara and wrapping both arms around one of the cat-youkai's strong front legs. "What's the matter with you?" he demanded.

The little girl just buried her face in Kirara's fur and refused to look at him. Inuyasha stood up and glared into the forest. "I don't have time for this, " he snapped.

Shippou poked him in the leg. "Leave her alone," the kitsune growled. "Can't you see she's scared of you?"

Miroku cleared his throat. The last thing in the world he was going to do right now was to tell Inuyasha why Rin was afraid of him. Inuyasha was Sesshomaru's brother, and Sesshomaru had been Rin's whole world. The daiyoukai had traumatized her by throwing her out of the fortress and tormenting Kohaku so ruthlessly. He imagined it must have been devastating for such a young child to see the person she worshipped turn on her like that.

Smiling a little, the monk leaned over to pry the girl's hands off Kirara's leg. The cat gave him a confused look as he settled Rin onto the broad white furred back and gestured to Shippou to join her.

"I think Kirara and Shippou can take care of Rin for now, " he said, his voice cheerful as if nothing was amiss. "We'll have an easier time tracking them this way."

Inuyasha didn't answer him as they set off into the forest, he just keep sniffing the air to keep Kagome's scent. He could follow her in the dark, he could follow her anywhere. There would never be a time that he wouldn't be able to find his Kagome. He knew exactly why Rin was afraid of him now and it stung him angrily. He wasn't like Sesshomaru; he would never just cast aside someone who loved him.

He would never abandon Kagome the way that Sesshomaru had abandoned Sango. Youkai blood, the hell. If being pure youkai meant that you could just turn off your feelings like blowing out a candle, he was damned glad he was born hanyou. The human side of his heart ached for Sango's pain, ached for the look in her eyes when she'd seen Kohaku's bruises.

Now that same look was reflected in the eyes of the kid when she looked at him. Inuyasha didn't like the idea of anyone comparing him to Sesshomaru. He'd cut off his own legs before he'd betray or abandon Kagome. Now she was out there, chasing after a heartbroken Sango and putting herself in danger just by being parted from him.

It was his brother's fault, damn him. He'd known all along that Sesshomaru was just playing with Sango. Maybe it amused him to make someone care for him just to throw them away. Just like he himself had been thrown away so many years ago.

_Sesshomaru, you fucking bastard_, he thought. _You'll pay for this if I have to hunt you to the ends of the earth_.

Inuyasha's thoughts were dark and preoccupied by finding Kagome, but he couldn't ignore it when the scent of familiar blood hit his nose. He stopped in his tracks, waving Miroku back as he sniffed the air. Blood, a lot of blood, fresh and undeniably dog demon. His eyes widened when he realized what it meant.

"Son of a bitch!" Inuyasha shouted and tore into the trees like a madman.

Miroku stared after him for just a moment before following. "Come on," he snapped at Kirara. The white cat growled low in her throat and obeyed, also catching the familiar scent. Miroku saw her eyes flash in fury and knew that something terrible had happened.

"Shit!"

Miroku burst into the clearing just a few moments after he heard Inuyasha's curse and stopped short in horror. Inuyasha was leaning over a body that was sprawled on the ground. A large pool of blood stained the earth and he recognized Jano immediately. Damn it.

"Is he dead?" the monk asked quietly.

Inuyasha didn't answer, reaching out to slap the inuyoukai's face. "Jano," he muttered. "What the fuck happened to you?" He glanced up and met Miroku's gaze soberly. "He's gone."

Miroku bowed his head and said a silent prayer for the inuyoukai's soul. "May you be at peace," he whispered. The monk raised his hand to make the blessing for their former companion, but was distracted by the sound of something crashing through the brush. Kouga and his two companions had appeared and were followed by the most unlikely person Miroku could have imagined.

The last person he'd have ever expected to be in a wolf demon's company.

"Naota?" he asked, remembered the man's name from when they'd met several months ago. The dark haired young man glanced up and his mouth twisted in a grim smile.

"Miroku, right?" Naota answered, nodding in recognition. It had been several months since he'd first encountered this unlucky group of travelers. It seemed as if they had not yet completed their quest to destroy the evil Naraku.

"Where's Kagome?" Kouga demanded, scanning the forest. He looked down at Inuyasha and his lips curled in contempt. "Did you get someone else killed, stupid mutt?"

Growling, Inuyasha got to his feet. "This might not be the best time," he said, his eyes glinting dangerously. "But we still have a score to settle for what you said back at the fortress. I'm not going to forgive you for accusing me of hurting Kagome."

"Fine with me," Kouga spat, advancing on him. "I'm ready to take you on again and this time no one is going to interfere!"

The wolf yelped when Naota slapped the back of his head, hard. "We don't have time for your stupid quarrel," he hissed. Then he looked down at the ground and Naota's face went dead white with shock.

"Jano!" he shouted, shoving past Kouga and pushing Inuyasha to the side. "Damn it, Jano! What the hell did this to you?" He ran his hands over his childhood friend's still face.

"Oh gods, no," he whispered.

Inuyasha flushed and looked away. "We were too late," he muttered. "He's dead."

Naota ignored him, continuing to inspect Jano's still corpse. "No," he whispered. "I refuse to believe it. Jano, you stupid ass!"

He leaned close, pressing his ear to Jano's chest and hoping it wasn't so. He scowled, sensing something unusual. Moving quickly, he pulled away the clothing and armor over Jano's chest until he found the gaping wound in his belly. Naota touched the edge of the torn flesh, rubbing his fingers together thoughtfully as he sniffed at Jano's blood.

It was too fresh for a corpse, still warm. In a human he might have assumed that death was just too recent for the body to have cooled and the blood clotted, in a demon, not everything was as it appeared.

With a grunt, he slid his pack off his back and started rummaging through it. The packet of fresh herbs came easily to his questing hand and Naota was grimly amused. It seemed like his earlier compulsion to harvest them was going to come in handy although he couldn't have predicted this would be the reason. Quickly, he started shredding the herbs, crushing them between his fingers to bring out their medicinal properties.

Inuyasha stared as Naota started to stuff the crushed leaves into Jano's belly. He scratched his ears, glancing over at Miroku with an expression of confused pity. "Was he a friend of yours?" he asked quietly. "You're too late, he's already…"

"Shut up, idiot," Naota muttered, continuing to work on Jano. "He's not dead, not by a long shot. He's been poisoned and he's comatose, but the Jano I knew doesn't give up so easy."

The herbs were no cure for his injury, but he thought they might slow the poison that was spreading through Jano's body. He might look still as a corpse, but Naota could sense the youki that was still clinging to his friend's body. No, Jano wouldn't give up easily. Even poisoned by the gods only knew what and having his guts torn open, he was willing to bet that the friend he'd grown up with was still every bit as stubborn as he remembered.

"He's pretty bad off," Naota told Inuyasha, glancing up as he wiped blood from his hands. "We have to get him back to Sesshomaru as soon as possible."

"Fuck that," Inuyasha spat. "Next time I see that son of a bitch I'm going to rip his head off and cram it up his ass!"

Naota smiled faintly. "I don't care what you want and I don't care what you do with Sesshomaru's head," he told the angry hanyou. "But Jano is my friend and I'm not going to let him die because you can't deal with your brother."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply, but was shoved so hard he nearly fell. He spun around; claws outstretched and glowered at Kouga.

"Wolf, you are pushing your luck," he snarled.

"Where's Kagome?" Kouga demanded. "You answer me right now!"

"Kagome went after Sango," Miroku broke in, trying to stop another pointless fight. "We were searching for them when we found Jano lying here."

Naota frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "So you do know Jano," he murmured. "Why is that? Had you met him simply by chance?"

Miroku shook his head. "No, Sesshomaru had sent him to follow us to protect Sango. But recent events made that impossible and we sent him away."

Blinking, Naota turned to look at Inuyasha and then back at Miroku. "The exterminator? Why would my human despising cousin do such a thing?"

A ball of fur bounced onto his shoulder and Naota started in spite of himself. "She's pregnant with his baby," Shippou explained. "Jano was supposed to watch over her, but he," the kitsune pointed at Inuyasha, "hates him so he told him to go away."

Naota sat down heavily. "I think someone needs to tell me what's going on," he muttered, resting his head on his fist. "Sesshomaru…got a human woman pregnant with his child? I don't believe it."

Shippou quickly launched into a rapid explanation of what had happened, not noticing as Naota's expression grew more and more grim. Miroku added his comments on the subject, showing the bruises that ringed this throat and describing in detail how Sesshomaru had cast them out of the fortress, only to attack him later when he saw him with Sango.

"She's his…mate?" Naota asked, shaking his head as if in pain. "Are you sure he said that? My cousin hates humans, he'd never declare one to be his mate or claim a hanyou baby as his heir. I can't believe he'd change like that."

"He hasn't changed," Inuyasha shouted, ignoring the startled looks from Kouga and his wolf companions. "That son of a bitch was just playing with her, I told you that, Miroku. I almost believed him myself, but I think Kohaku and Rin are proof that he was lying to all of us, most of all to Sango."

Naota winced as Inuyasha described how Kohaku and Rin had been taken from the fortress and how Kohaku had showed up bearing the marks of Sesshomaru's claws. Angrily, the hanyou pointed at the little human girl that was still clinging to Kirara's back. "She saw him do it, fucking ask her if Sesshomaru isn't a bastard from hell!"

The little girl sat quietly, not looking around her, but playing with the fire-cat's fur. Naota stood up and moved to stand at her side, gently placing his hand on her head. "Is that true, little one?" he asked in a voice so soft that the others had to strain to hear him.

Rin nodded, unshed tears sparkling in her eyes. She opened her mouth and then closed it again, shivering. Gently, Naota lifted her from Kirara's back and held her against his chest. "You must have been very frightened," Naota murmured into her hair. "But if this story is true, I don't think it was Sesshomaru that did this."

"What?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "Are you out of your head, asshole? I just told you what he did."

Naota gave him an icy look. "Sesshomaru couldn't do that," he said sharply. "If he truly saved this boy Kohaku with Tenseiga, he could not have tortured him. The sword would not allow it. You carry Tessaiga, don't you? Doesn't that tell you anything about your father or the power he put into those blades? Saying that Sesshomaru could destroy what he had revived would be like you using Tessaiga to murder someone you had used it to protect. The swords won't allow themselves to be used like that."

Inuyasha stared at him, his mouth hanging open. "What the hell are you babbling about?" he demanded. "You didn't see Kohaku, he threw him and Rin out of the fortress and left them for dead after he tortured Kohaku."

"I'm saying not," Naota answered. "I'm not saying that your brother is overflowing with love and compassion for humanity, but he is incapable of destroying what he has saved. Tenseiga binds its master to those it revives. Inutaisho told me so himself."

They stood in silence for a few moments, Inuyasha glaring fiercely at his cousin and Naota calmly returning his gaze. Suddenly, Rin burst into tears, sobbing into Naota's shoulder as if her heart was being torn from her body.

"It's wasn't him," she cried, her small arms tight around Naota's neck. "It wasn't Sesshomaru-sama!"

Tearfully, she looked over at Inuyasha. "Sesshomaru-sama didn't send us out of the fortress," Rin said, her face flushed and wet. "We snuck out on our own to find Sango-sama. But…we met Sesshomaru-sama and I saw him hurt Kohaku. He didn't see me, but I was too scared to do anything."

"It was still him," Inuyasha muttered. "Even if he didn't throw you out, he still…"

Miroku's hand fell heavily on his shoulder. "What if it wasn't Sesshomaru?" he said quietly. "After he attacked me, Sango and Sesshomaru were alone together for some time. If what Rin says is true, she and Kohaku left the fortress without his knowledge. How would he have known where they were and been waiting for them?"

Inuyasha scowled, hating the idea that his brother hadn't been responsible for the crimes he had been accused of. Sesshomaru had been searching for Sango, that's why he had seen her and Miroku together. He'd been furious that Sango would so easily return to his brother's arms after nearly killing Miroku, but he couldn't have been in two places at once. Why hadn't he seen it before?

"Why would someone do that, try to make Sango think that Sesshomaru had betrayed her by attacking her brother? No one would have anything to gain unless…"

"Naraku," Miroku said grimly. "He must have discovered their union and decided to trick Sango into hating him, or trying to kill him. Just like what he did with you and Kikyou."

Inuyasha's face flushed an ugly red. "So that we'd be distracted," he spat. "So he'd have time to set a trap. Kohaku ran when those demons attacked, Sango went after him. And Kagome went after Sango." Horror dawned in his eyes and Inuyasha's fists clenched in anger.

"That bastard!"

Kouga looked confused. "Somebody better explain what this has to do with Kagome."

Miroku nodded thoughtfully, letting the pieces fall into place. "It seems we have been tricked, but for what purpose? Naraku doesn't have the final shard, why would he go out of his way just to confuse us?"

Rin squirmed in Naota's arms, looking over at Miroku. "Kohaku has the shard," she said miserably. "He brought it with us when we left."

Miroku looked startled. "Then, supposing that shard has some kind of hold over Kohaku, he could have left the fortress under its influence and brought it to Naraku. If Naraku has all the pieces, he very possibly could require the spiritual abilities of a priestess to bind them and bring the jewel to its fully restored power."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted. "He was after Kagome, he's going to force her to complete the jewel."

Naota glanced down at Jano's form. "And if Sango had tried to save Kagome from Naraku, Jano may have fallen trying to protect them. We've been tracking some kind of monster; its trail led us here. That monster must have taken both Sango and Kagome."

Inuyasha snarled, gritting his teeth. "And that's why we tracked Sango and Kagome here," he said, biting off the words like pieces of bitterness. "Jano wasn't able to stop him from taking them."

"Kagome has been kidnapped," Kouga shouted, looking wild. "I will save her!"

Naota raised an eyebrow and caught Miroku's eye with a wry grin. "Nothing gets by him, does it?"

Miroku nodded sagely. "A veritable well of intuition," he said, his tone dry with contempt.

"You ain't saving her, wolf," Inuyasha hissed, his eyes glowing faintly. "She's my mate, you just keep your filthy wolf hands off her. I don't need your help."

Kouga laughed harshly and dashed away. "She'll be mine when I rescue her," he shouted over his shoulder. "You couldn't protect her, but she'll turn to me when I save her from Naraku!"

"Fuck if you will," Inuyasha exploded. He tore after Kouga in a fury, not even looking back at Naota and Miroku as they stood watching in the clearing. Ginta let out a tired moan and nudged Hakkaku.

"Come on, you know we have to follow them," he said.

Naota smiled to himself and went to kneel beside Jano, Rin still clinging to his shoulders. "Tell me, little one," he said, his voice still mild. "Is there a healer at the fortress who is experienced with treating wounds like this? I am able to take care of the poison, but Jano will not heal unless he receives immediate care."

The girl nodded. "Makiko-san can take care of him," she whispered. "She fights with Jano-san all the time, but I think she really loves him."

That brought a twinkle to Naota's eyes. "Does she?" he mused. "Well, in that case I think you and I should take him to her, don't you agree?"

Miroku chuckled softly at the girl's vehement agreement. "Kirara can probably carry us all," he said. "Now that it seems that Sesshomaru isn't responsible for Kohaku's attack, I find myself quite anxious to return to his hospitality."

"Really, why is that?"

The monk closed his eyes and smiled fondly. "I have developed an appreciation of the young ladies under Makiko-san's responsibility. In particular, there was one I was loathe to part from."

Naota raised an eyebrow and tried to suppress a smirk. "Inuyoukai girls are very demanding," he said, hazarding a guess at why the human wanted to return. "Are you sure that your health is up to such a visit? This Makiko-san will need to focus her attention on Jano, she can't be expected to treat a human's injuries as well."

Blissful at the idea of seeing Aiko again, Miroku nodded. "With Buddha's grace, she won't have to worry about me. I intend to be most respectful and throw myself on the young woman's mercy."

Naota snorted. "I could tell you a few stories about inuyoukai females and their idea of mercy," he said, his eyes twinkling. "It's been many years, but I still bear a few scars."

Miroku bowed with a flourish. "Shall we discuss the matter after we get on our way? Perhaps we can compare notes. I would be most interested to hear of your experiences with inuyoukai females."

"And I would be happy to tell you," Naota grinned.

Shippou rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Another pervert," he muttered, watching as they settled Jano's unconscious form across Kirara's shoulders. "You're lucky that you're unconscious, Jano."

oOo

Sango woke suddenly and gasped, looking around her in confusion. She didn't know where she was and all around her was darkness. Her arms hurt and she tested against the manacles that bound her wrists. She was on her knees, hanging limply against her bonds. The chains rattled when she moved and Sango swallowed hard.

She was a prisoner.

The last thing she remembered was Hiraikotsu shattering, a heavy fist heading for her face. Sango went cold when she realized what this meant. The demon had taken her with him and she was now at the mercy of what she couldn't even see.

"Kagome," she called out softly, hoping her friend was somewhere nearby. Only silence answered her and Sango wearily got to her feet, using her chains for balance. Wherever she was, it smelled horrible, dark and dank. Now that her eyes had adjusted she could make out a shadowy outline or two and a dim light coming from under what had to be the door.

"Damn," she muttered. Kagome was either unconscious or not here, she decided grimly. Turning to the grimy stone wall behind her, Sango ran her hands over the surface until her fingers found the iron staple that bolted her chains to the wall. She tugged at it experimentally, sighing when she realized that even her recently enhanced strength wasn't enough to break her free.

"Great," she said bitterly, leaning against the wall. She covered her face with a dirty hand and sighed heavily. "How am I going to get out of here?"

"You aren't going anywhere, woman."

She froze, realizing that she wasn't alone and was being watched. Shoulders hard against the wall, she scanned the darkness in front of her. "Who's there?" she demanded in harsh voice that held no fear.

A low chuckle made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and Sango cringed, realizing that the demon hiding in the darkness was the same one that had captured her. She felt his presence now, dark and malevolent, oppressive as a foul miasma. A hot finger touched her face and Sango flinched involuntarily.

"What do you want?" she asked, twisting away from his touch. "Why are you working for Naraku? Why did he have me brought here?"

Another grating chuckle and this time the finger rested over her pulse. "Naraku didn't want you at all," he said, his voice cold and hard as a blizzard. "I wanted you."

"Me?" Sango whispered, her body gone even colder. The almost burningly hot finger traced her neck again, lingering over the hollow of her throat.

"Yes," he hissed and she felt his breath like a desert wind over her skin. He was moving closer and the hard palm of his hand slid down her chest to rest over her left breast. She was starting to shake with fear and disgust at just being near him. She knew he could feel it and also that it amused him.

"Are you afraid of me, little girl?" he murmured as he pressed closer to her. "You should be very afraid. If you don't struggle, I won't hurt you any more than I have to."

"You didn't answer my question," she bit out, her whole body yearning to be away from him. The hand contracted over her breast and she held back a hiss. "Why are you working for Naraku?"

"I'm not working for anyone," he answered lazily, his hands now exploring the curves of her body. "I do what I want to do. If it suits his needs as well, that's not my concern."

If she could see him, she wasn't sure that she'd be less afraid and decided that the darkness was a blessing. If she had to look at that awful, ravaged face, if she had to see those burning eyes, she might lose her courage. She jumped when one of his claws flicked out and severed one of the straps of the armor Jano had given her.

"So you don't care what Naraku's plans are?" she asked, hoping to keep him talking. Anything to keep him away from her. "You don't mind being used as a tool?"

He hissed, suddenly feral, and Sango thought that she'd miscalculated. That burning hand cupped her cheek none too gently. "No one uses me," he said coldly, squeezing her face. "I use others for my amusement. As you're about to find out."

His face dipped close to hers and Sango quailed at the sensation of a moist tongue tasting her cheek. His body was huge, overwhelming her even if her hands had been left free. He licked her again, greedily tasting the salt of her fear, her sweat on his tongue.

She pushed her fear aside, well aware that she was about to be raped by a sinister monster. "So," she said, making an effort for her voice to sound unconcerned. "You aren't after the Shikon no Tama?"

He smiled into her throat; she could feel the prick of his fangs. It reminded her painfully of Sesshomaru, but she also pushed that memory aside. She thought he wasn't going to answer, but he finally did, pushing his face close to hers and licking at her ear in between words.

"That bauble of Naraku's." _Lick. _ "Means nothing to me." _Lick._ "I do not pursue it."

Sango felt a tug and the rest of her armor dropped away, only thin cloth stood between them now. She could smell the rancid scent of old blood all over him, on his breath. He continued to lick her almost tenderly, gently, the rough surface of his tongue pulling at her skin. She brought her chained hands up to his shoulders, not pushing him away but letting her fingers dig into the hard flesh of him.

"You don't want the power of the jewel?" she asked desperately. She had to find some way to distract him from her, to make him go away.

The demon laughed suddenly, a cold and mocking sound. "You think I need more power, little girl?" he asked, still touching her fondly. "I am not a lower demon, there's nothing that jewel could offer me. I am daiyoukai."

_Damn_, she thought, sinking back against the wall as he moved in on her again. He seemed to interpret this as a signal to proceed, rumbling deep in his chest as he pulled her against him. The terror threatened to overwhelm her; she fought against it until she could find a place within the panic to think. This would not happen, she couldn't let it happen.

_Sesshomaru_, she thought desperately as the demon used his knee to spread her legs apart. She shook her head; her small hands pushed him away. "I still don't understand," she said and even to herself her voice sounded weak and defeated. "Why did he tell you to kidnap Kagome?"

"The pretty priestess?" he asked, sounding amused. His long claws raked through her hair, loosening the ribbon she used to tie it away from her face. Sango's hair fell around her shoulders, over her face. The demon toyed with it absently, still leaning against her.

"You ask a lot of questions," he commented. "Naraku wants the priestess to bind his jewel. Now that he possesses all the shards, only a priestess can bring them together again."

"He doesn't have all the shards," Sango said quickly. "There's still one left that he doesn't have, why kidnap her now?"

"The boy," he muttered thickly into her chest. Hot hands, impossibly hot, were working at her collar, untying the soft fabric and she shivered when that tongue dipped lower, licking between her breasts. "The boy brought him the last shard. As he was told."

"Kohaku," she whispered, the tears she hadn't been willing to shed suddenly formed in her eyes. Damn Sesshomaru, he couldn't have been that much of a fool. He didn't send Kohaku and Rin out with the last remaining shard! She cursed herself for her foolishness in trusting him, but to do that, to aid Naraku by withdrawing his protection from even that...

"You know the boy?" the demon asked, his breath still scorching her skin. Sango winced as he worked her clothing open, slowly exposing more flesh for him to taste. The demon sighed and knelt before her and Sango cringed when the cool air met her flesh, her breasts now exposed to him. Clawed fingers playfully toyed with her nipples, making them grow rigid and twisted with fear.

"He's my little brother," she said, her tears now falling freely. The demon's fingers touched her face and she heard him lick the tears from his hand.

"Your brother?" he asked, sounding somewhat confused. "Did you not know that Naraku controlled him?"

Controlled him? Sango shook her head wildly, forgetting about defending herself in the light of this new pain. "No...no, he doesn't control Kohaku. Sesshomaru took the shard out of him, healed him. Naraku couldn't..."

"Dreams," the dark demon whispered.

She cried out when his hot tongue wrapped around her nipple, tasting it slowly as if he believed he might be seducing her. His fingers kneaded her other breast harshly. "No, my dearest, Naraku controlled your brother's dreams, forced him to leave the safety of the fortress and bring the jewel to him. You were betrayed by your own brother, girl. He was weak."

That made her angry and before she knew it, she had grabbed a handful of thick hair and pulled him away from her breast. Claws bit into her skin as she fought him, silently, bitterly, twisting away from his seeking mouth and violating hands.

"Get off of me!" she cried out, shoving him with all of her desperate strength.

He pinned her easily enough, one hand on her throat, one planted firmly over her belly. "Don't make me force you," he growled. "You'll die if I take you like that, human."

"What the hell do you care?" Sango screamed, beating him with her fists. "Naraku has my brother, you son of a bitch! I don't care about what happens to me!"

The hands shifted and Sango found herself hauled off her feet by her hair. Stinging pain made stars form before her eyes and she clung to the darkness in order to spare the feeling of her hair being torn from her scalp.

"What about your child?" he asked harshly, shaking her. "You don't care about that?"

She stilled and he crushed her against him, his mouth finding hers and forcing her lips to open. The long tongue that had taunted her thrust violently into her mouth, probing and searching for hers. The taste of him was foul and Sango wanted to retch. Her stomach twisted inside her, panic thundering in her heart. Her legs went weak as he bent her back against the wall, tearing at her clothes blindly.

"Please," she begged him. "Don't let Naraku kill my brother. I...I'll do whatever you want, just don't let him kill Kohaku and Kagome."

"I'm going to do what I want anyway," he hissed, licking her face again. "Why should I protect those you care for?"

"Haven't you ever had anyone to protect?" she asked, her palms weak against his chest. "Haven't you ever loved anyone?"

It surprised her that he stopped, his hands stilled their violation of her body and he backed away a few inches. It was enough to let her breathe, although she wanted to be sick on the floor, she just hung limply against her chains. His breathing was somewhat harsher now, as if he was trying to recall something.

"I had a child once," he whispered, sounding almost awed by the knowledge. "A son."

She looked up at the darkness where she knew he was, knowing he could see her clearly even if she couldn't see him. "Would you have protected him?"

A long, slow hiss this time. "Yes."

They stood for a few moments like that, the darkness searching his lost memories, the exterminator trying to think of how to survive beyond the next few minutes. _He would turn on her now_, she thought miserably. He would rape her until there was nothing left, not even Tenseiga would resurrect her, even if Sesshomaru cared to use it. She didn't even know if he realized what had happened, how skillfully Naraku had managed to manipulate them both.

For Sango's mind knew what her heart had told her in the face of ugly fact. Her mate had not betrayed her; he had not sent Kohaku away or tormented him. It was Naraku all along, trying to turn them against each other.

His fingers stroked her face again and Sango jerked her head away, twisting against the chains. "No, please," she whispered. "Don't do this."

He seized her chin and pulled it up. "You will belong to me," he said, his voice deep and final. "You are the one I want, no other. If I protect your brother, will you love me?"

Her eyes widened when she heard a soft note of entreaty in the last few words. "Love you," she whispered, hating herself for this deception. But if it would keep Kohaku and perhaps Kagome safe...

"Why me?" Sango asked as he seemed sense her acceptance. "Why did you bring me here, why...why do you want that from me?"

"Naraku told me that you were a demon exterminator," he rumbled, withdrawing from her so suddenly she almost staggered. "You made me curious, woman."

She felt his eyes upon her, lingering on her exposed breasts. "I wanted to know why a demon exterminator is with a youkai's child."

She felt him leave then, the blackness around her parted for just a moment and she could see his outline against a doorway, a dimly lit hall beyond that. "We have an agreement then?" he asked, his voice promising violence against everything if she denied it.

Sango swallowed hard and closed her eyes, hating herself. _Sesshomaru, forgive me_.

"Yes."


	43. FortyThree

_**Chapter FortyThree**_

Kagome groaned and rolled over. Her head was spinning and her entire body was a dull ache. She felt sick and cold and the air around her was stale. Slowly, she opened her eyes and peeked between her eyelashes. Over her was a plain wooden roof and when she tried to move, the rancid smell of the pallet under her head made her stomach rebel. She swallowed against the nausea, her eyes watering as bile filled her throat. Suddenly she threw herself to the side and vomited helplessly onto the bare floor.

Shuddering, Kagome held her stomach and wondered why she felt so sick. Her hand was trembling as she wiped her lips, hating the sour taste in her mouth. She could remember Sango fighting some…thing, some monster that didn't even seem to be a real demon, rather a nightmare given form. She could recall the way he'd viciously slammed Sango to the ground, she could recall drawing an arrow and firing. It had no effect on him and he'd simply reached out a hand and sent an oily mist towards her.

That mist. She could still feel it on her face and the back of her sinuses tasted like sulfur. H_e must have drugged me_, she thought weakly. _Some kind of poison that knocked me out, that means that he brought me here_.

"It must be Naraku," she murmured.

"Very good," a soft voice said. "You are perceptive, priestess."

She choked back a scream and looked up to see Naraku standing in the open doorway. His eyes were hard and full of contempt, but his face was smooth and neutral. Then he smiled and she could feel the malice radiating from him.

"What do you want?" she whispered, her small hands clenching into fists. "Why did you kidnap me?"

His lips curved into a mocking smile as he stepped into the small, dingy room. "I spoke too soon," he said, his voice like hateful music. "You are not perceptive at all. Kikyou would have already determined my reasons had she been in your place."

Kagome flushed, her cheeks turning pink with the sting of his insult. "Kikyou isn't here," she said sharply. "I don't care what she'd think, she'd at least put an arrow or two into you. Why did you come after me? That thing said I was your prey, not her."

Naraku chuckled softly and the sound made her skin crawl. "You are such a fool. I possess all the shards of the Shikon no Tama. All I need now is a priestess to bind them and make the jewel whole. A service that even you should be able to render adequately."

Slowly, she got to her feet, anger radiating from her. "You're the fool, Naraku, if you think I'd ever help you."

"I thought you might say something like that," he answered. Naraku turned and stepped to the door. "Bring him."

Kagome choked on her own breath when the dark monster appeared, his tangled black hair hanging in mats over his shoulders, the hard muscles of his arms outlined by shadows against ice pale skin. His hand rested on the back of a boy's neck, the boy's hair hanging loose over his face. He didn't look up, but of course she knew him.

"Kohaku," Kagome cried, forgetting her fear of Naraku's monster as she went to him. She cupped the boy's face in her hands and forced him to look up at her. Her breath caught in throat, even more bruises covered him, Kohaku's face was badly swollen and blood crusted his nose and mouth.

"You bastard," she raged at the dark demon. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing," Naraku said, licking his lips at her anguish over the boy. "He can only thank Sesshomaru-sama for this. Poor Kohaku, he tried so hard to die at that youkai's hands and now look at him. He was forced to return to me, how cruel of Sesshomaru to deny him an honorable death."

Kagome's eyes flashed in fury. "You're behind this," she snarled. "I don't know how, but you're the reason. Why couldn't you just leave him alone, leave Sango alone? Haven't you done enough to them?"

She was suddenly thrown against the wall, Naraku's hand tight on her throat. "Why couldn't you just stop interfering?" he hissed. His crimson eyes burned into hers, his hand was like steel on her neck. "You don't even belong here.

"You were the one who unsealed Inuyasha; you were the one who shattered the jewel. Have you ever thought about how you are responsible for everything?"

She struggled against him and he slammed her hard into the wall again. Naraku leaned close until his lips were just brushing Kagome's earlobe. "Sango's family would still be alive if it wasn't for you. If you hadn't shattered the jewel with your bumbling attempt to retrieve it, there would never have been shards in that village. I would have never been forced to lure the exterminators away. Sango wouldn't have seen her family die at her brother's hands; she would have never known the pain of seeing her precious Kohaku as my slave."

Kagome closed her eyes, denying it. _Don't listen, she told herself, don't listen to him._

Sensing her agreement to her own guilt, Naraku eased his hold on her throat. Tenderly, he stroked the hair from her eyes. "You never should have thought you could make a difference or tried to oppose me. You are no Kikyou; she was at least a true priestess before her death. You've never been willing to sacrifice anything."

"Will you now sacrifice your life and Kohaku's by refusing my simple request to restore what you yourself have broken?"

Her eyes were wide with fear and Naraku found it delicious. Her resemblance to Kikyou was only superficial, but it was enough to make him enjoy seeing her in pain. "You selfish little brat," he murmured, his hand caressing her neck lightly. "You didn't oppose me because you wanted to make anything right, did you? You only pursued me to be with that stupid hanyou."

Kagome yelped when his fist buried in her hair, forced her to her knees. "All this time you've been pretending to be such a good person, such a pure and kind girl. And it was nothing but a lie. You wanted something and nothing else mattered. How lovely to see your true face at last, Kagome. You and I are not so very different."

"No," she whispered. His hand clenched tighter and she cried out, the pain of her hair being torn from her scalp was excruciating.

"Self-righteous as Kikyou, but without her ability," he sneered. "The least you can do is to perform this minimal task. After that, I will allow you a clean death. This is more than you deserve. Even Inuyasha would agree, if he were not so dense as to see that you are the true monster here."

Kagome flinched and turned her chin up so that she could look at him. Naraku's gloating, beautiful face, his eyes gleaming at her sadistically. It was her fault the jewel had broken and all the lives it had destroyed since then were hers to claim as well. Naraku had ruthlessly used the shards of the Shikon no Tama like game pieces on a board, manipulating them all.

"You might be right about me," she husked, tears rolling down her cheeks. "But you're wrong about Inuyasha. Even if it were my fault, he wouldn't agree with you. Not ever."

Slowly, he released her hair and let her sag against the wall. Naraku smiled to himself at her defiance, the way her spirit seemed to grow stronger no matter what he said to break it. For that matter, what did he care about her spirit anyway? It wasn't what he needed.

"Kohaku," he said quietly. "Come here."

The boy moved forward, dragging his feet. Gently, as if he never cared to cause pain, Naraku took his wrist. Kagome followed the movement of his hand as he slid his palm along Kohaku's arm, finding a newly healed wound that had closed over with twisted pink flesh. He heard her gasp when he dug his sharp fingers into Kohaku's flesh. The boy shuddered and tears leaked from his eyes although he uttered no sound. Kagome noticed then that his eyes were alive, not blank and glassy as they had been under Naraku's control.

Kohaku could feel pain. Her stomach twisted at the realization and Kagome leaned forward, one useless hand reaching for him. "No," she said, wanting Naraku to stop.

The demon pulled his bloody fingers from Kohaku's wound and presented her with a stained shard. "There it is," he murmured. "The final shard. You have done well to bring it me, Kohaku. If Kagome cooperates with me, I will see to it that your death is painless as well."

He let the boy slide to the ground and smiled. Kohaku pressed his face to the dirty floor and sobbed soundlessly. Kagome felt pity well up in her heart and went to him, taking his head gently in her lap.

"Don't cry, Kohaku," she said quietly. "Don't listen to him; it's not your fault."

"Indeed," Naraku said lightly. "We've already established that the guilt belongs to you, Kagome. Leaving the shard in the hands of a boy so easily manipulated. You would have done better to give it Sesshomaru. But you wouldn't trust the daiyoukai, would you? Not with such a precious shard. Sango trusted him with her heart and look what happened to her."

"What do you mean?" she demanded, watching as Naraku swept out of the room. "What have you done to her?"

"I?" Naraku smirked over his shoulder. "I have no interest in the exterminator. Perhaps you should ask my ally if his intentions are more…honorable…than Sesshomaru's were."

Horrified, Kagome turned to look at the dark demon that was still silently watching her. "Oh no," she murmured, unable to even look at him.

"She is mine," the monster whispered. "I have chosen her."

Kagome shivered and put her arms around Kohaku protectively. "She won't ever belong to you," the girl told him, her eyes squeezed tight. "There's nothing you can ever do to make that happen."

He smiled and she could feel the malice filling the room. "You think so, priestess. We will see." Turning swiftly, the demon left the humans to their grief. It amused him to see them in so much pain, but at the same time he was still considering his agreement with the exterminator.

oOo

She had promised. She would be his, love only him, if he helped these two escape Naraku. He cared nothing for this jewel or for Naraku's plans. The hanyou had no hold over him. All he cared about was the fact that he was again walking the earth, ready to claim what he wanted and destroy what he didn't desire. This was how it was meant to be.

He was a conqueror. He was a lord, he couldn't remember the details clearly but he remembered power. Hadn't he once commanded armies? Yes, he could see standards waving in the breeze. Hadn't all feared him, bowed to him?

Yes, this was how it should be.

All he wanted to think about was the woman. And her child, a child that he would be able to raise as his own. The baby would be only a half-demon, but that didn't matter. Somehow, he could recall siring a child on a human once, back when he was a living inuyoukai. It would be fitting for him to raise this exterminator's brat as well. A hanyou…trained to become an exterminator of humans. The irony appealed to him.

A small figure in white appeared at the end of the passage, walking slowly with her head down as if she were deep in thought. He smiled at the sight of Naraku's most trusted minion. She glanced up and saw him, stopping when he approached her. Her dark eyes were vacant of any anger or fear and her small face tipped up to meet his gaze as he towered over her tiny form.

"Youkai-sama," she said, her soft voice barely above a whisper.

He knelt beside her, resisting the urge to touch her soft white hair. She was not a child although she wore the form of one. He knew what she was, just as he knew what she carried within her mirror.

"Show me," he murmured, his eyes burning. "Show me my sons."

Obediently, she tipped her mirror and he stared greedily at it. The smooth surface flickered and swirled, parting like murky water over polished steel. Slowly, the images formed and he smiled, watching as the shapes became recognizable.

A young boy with long white hair and eyes of gold was running across a wide stone courtyard. At his heels was another boy, somewhat smaller, whose hair was black as night. The boys laughed and chased each other and he fondly wished he could hear what they were talking about. Then the white haired boy started and turned around, automatically shielding the younger looking child with his body.

He couldn't see what alarmed them, but he felt anger that anyone would dare to threaten his sons. A low and angry growl formed in the pit of his chest as the image grew slowly darker, the boys fading as if the light in the courtyard was blocked by some horrifying presence.

"Show me more," he ordered roughly, gesturing at the mirror.

Kanna cradled the mirror in her arms and met his angry gaze placidly. "There is no more to see. I cannot control what the mirror chooses to show you."

"Lying bitch," he spat, wondering if Naraku was using her to manipulate him. He stood, threatening the tiny girl with a huge fist. "Don't play games with me."

"I don't play games," she replied softly, her voice steady and emotionless. She turned away, clearly unconcerned as made her way slowly to the end of the passage. He was left frustrated, his veins coursing with fury. It would not serve him to destroy Kanna, not any more than it would serve him to continue as Naraku's ally.

Yes, the time had come for him to take what was his and leave this place. The fool had his precious jewel, which should be enough for him. He would take his woman and go, leave this place and find somewhere far away, some place with better prey. He would bow to no master, no lord, and no demon ever born. Instead he would conquer and kill, blood running in his fists and teach this world the terror of its past.

oOo

Sesshomaru scowled, examining the blood on the ground. It was Jano's. Fury like he'd never experienced before gripped him, made his heart twist inside his body. His mate's scent was faint, muddied by the smells of others. His brother had been here, as had the wolf youkai he'd expelled from his fortress. If something strong enough to injure Jano had attacked his wife's companions…

He snarled angrily to himself, long claws already glowing with barely contained youki. She was in danger, his instincts had been correct.

If she had been injured…or his child…

Hell itself would pay.

oOo

"Quit following me, you stupid wolf!"

"You're the one following me. Back off, mutt-face, I'm gonna rescue Kagome!"

"The hell!"

It looked like they were going to fight again. Ginta sighed and leaned against the nearest tree, grateful for a respite from their headlong run. Hakkaku just collapsed on the ground his chest heaving. It was hard enough for them to keep up with Kouga on a normal run, having him running fast enough to keep Inuyasha behind him…

They wondered why they hadn't just stayed in the mountains.

Kouga spat at Inuyasha, grinning when the hanyou scowled and avoided the unlovely offering. Stupid mutt didn't know when to get lost. Kouga pointed a finger at him, his eyes glittering with pure malice.

"It's all your fault she got kidnapped," Kouga hissed, driving the words home with all the viciousness he could manage. "If you can't take better care of my woman…"

"She ain't your woman," Inuyasha growled back. Angrily, he cracked his knuckles and advanced on the wolf demon. "Did you not hear her back at the fortress? Kagome and I are together, got it? Ain't anything you can do to about it either!"

Kouga huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "You had to trick her into doing something like that," he scoffed. "My Kagome would never lower herself to sleep with a mangy half breed like you!"

"Wanna come over here and say that again?"

The wolf grinned nastily. "I'll take you on any time you want," he boasted. "And after I kill your sorry ass, I'm taking back my woman!"

Hakkaku rolled over on his side and looked up at Ginta. "They're gonna be at it all night," he muttered.

His comrade only shrugged before flopping gracelessly on the ground next to him. "Could be, but while they're fighting Kagome-nee-san is still in danger."

"I heard that!"

Ginta flinched when both Kouga and Inuyasha glowered at him. "I'm just saying," he stammered hastily. "There are more important things than fighting each other right now."

"And Kagome doesn't like you to fight," Hakkaku put in bluntly. He stared back at them remorselessly, fairly certain neither the wolf prince nor hanyou would attack him while he was still lying on the ground and speaking only the truth. "You should think about what she'd want you to do!"

Inuyasha actually looked abashed. "I don't have time to mess with you," he muttered, turning away from Kouga. "She's in danger, that thing took her and Sango both." His eyes glinted dangerously at Kouga. "So you stop following me, mangy wolf. This ain't your concern."

Switching tactics, Kouga smirked openly at him. Waving a hand at Ginta and Hakkaku, he turned away. "I ain't following you, mutt," he said, with a voice hard and filled with contempt. "You've lost the scent, haven't you?"

"Fuck you!"

The wolf grinned, realizing he'd hit his target dead on. "What's the matter, your doggy nose finally give out?" he taunted. "When I rescue Kagome, the first thing I'm going to ask her is if you're as lousy in bed as you are as a tracker. A real demon would never lose the trail when tracking his woman!"

"I didn't lose her trail," Inuyasha shouted, hating the fact that Kouga had realized what he'd been trying to hide. "It just disappeared, like it was covered up by something else."

"Bullshit," Kouga sneered.

Inuyasha glowered at him. "Maybe I can't find her because all I can smell is a stinking wolf," he said, his voice going low and dangerous.

Kouga bared his teeth in challenge. "Don't blame me because you're a worthless half breed who can't even protect the woman he thinks he loves!"

It was too much and too close to the truth in his mind. The scent had just vanished, not even fading away; it had just stopped dead and cold in the middle of the forest, something that was impossible. Growling, he shook his head and flexed his claws. "I should have killed you a long time ago, Kouga."

"Try it," the wolf whispered, hatred heavy in his voice.

Inuyasha rushed at him, glad to have something to tear into to vent the frustration and overwhelming horror that was riding in his heart. Kagome was gone, kidnapped along with Sango by some monster that was strong enough to tear Jano's guts apart. He refused to think of what she might be going through, how scared she would be. One thing he did know, Kagome wouldn't give up easily, no matter how scared, how desperate, how terrified she might be. Kagome would believe in him.

He would come for her. Or die trying.

In the meantime, a certain wolf needed to have his skull cracked open. Without a solid lead or even a clue as to what direction to turn, it seemed like the best idea he could come up with.

He and Kouga circled each other warily, getting ready for what could be the final battle between them. He knew that Kagome would try to stop them from this, just like he knew that she would be horrified if he actually killed the mangy excuse for a wolf. Fine. For Kagome, he wouldn't kill the bastard…this time. That meant Tessaiga would stay safely in its sheath and Kouga would get to wear the marks of his claws instead.

Kouga's face suddenly paled, his eyes going wide as he backed away. Inuyasha grinned, advancing on him.

"Scared now?" he asked, pleased that he might actually see the fool back down for once like he should. Even if Kouga did submit, Inuyasha wasn't ready to give up a chance to plant at least one good hit right in his ugly face. Happily, he cocked back his fist.

And was promptly yanked off his feet by something that grabbed the back of his hair with a harsh grip. Inuyasha found himself thrown hard to the ground, sprawling in the dirt like a cur with a mouthful of leaves and grass.

"What the fuck?" he shouted angrily, rolling over and springing to his feet to face this new attack. He rocked back on his heels when a hard fist connected with his jaw, seeing nothing but a pale blur as he was hit again and again. Fingers wrapped around his throat and brought him face to face with an extremely angry demon.

"Little brother," Sesshomaru hissed, his eyes glinting red. "Where is my wife?"

oOo

Miroku had wondered what kind of reception they'd receive, returning to the fortress with a half-dead Jano and one silent exile. Not to mention a traumatized Rin and befuddled Shippou. While Kirara had carried them admirably, the weight of three adults was more than she was accustomed to. But they'd had need of her swiftness and while Miroku could have stayed with Inuyasha and Kouga, he had finally admitted to himself a most painful truth.

As much as he did care for Sango, she would never return his feelings in the way he'd wanted. That did not mean he wasn't desperately worried for her safety, he was worried for Kagome too. But some instinct had finally kicked in and he knew that Inuyasha didn't want or need him for this search. He wouldn't be able to keep up with the frantic hanyou, not this time. He left the hard business of finding Sango and Kagome to their mates.

For he was absolutely certain that Sesshomaru was out there searching for Sango, maybe guided by demon instinct, maybe forewarned by some obscure inuyoukai magic. Miroku silently wished both of them the best of luck and haste in finding their mates and bringing them home to safety. And the realization that Sesshomaru was out there in the wilds and not stalking the halls of this fortress was an added bonus. He was not looking forward to seeing the daiyoukai lord again after nearly being strangled by him.

They'd arrived late in the day, the sun turning to red and gold as it set, casting long shadows in the courtyard where Kirara had landed. Miroku wagered they'd scared hell out of some guard, flying over the gates like that without warning or even a polite request to pass. Someone was no doubt getting their hide chewed to pieces for such lax security in letting a flying cat demon past the borders.

Kirara had actually hesitated, started to slow when the fortress had come into view. He didn't blame her, this wasn't her home territory and she had come to understand dog demons quite well by now. She couldn't be assured of a safe welcome this time and he knew Sango had trained her twin-tailed companion to guard their lives as best she understood how. When the cat had slowed, Naota had leaned forward and spoken in a low, purring tone, almost growling in the language that Miroku realized was unique to cat demons.

"I told her to hurry," Naota had said, turning back to face the monk. "Jano needs help now, the herbs slowed the poison but they can't purge his system. We don't have that much time."

And so they'd landed in full view of most of the fortress' staff and guard, the latter actually drawing weapons as Kirara paced to an easy stop. She'd stood stock still just long enough for Miroku and Naota to ease Jano's unconscious body from her shoulders, then she'd transformed instantly to her much less threatening kitten form and meowed piteously before burying her face in Rin's arms.

"What the hell did you think yer doin'?" a guard had shouted angrily, moving to confront them. Miroku ignored the man's complaints, searching the gathering crowd for the one familiar face he needed.

"Makiko!" he shouted when he saw the dark haired woman push her way through the throng of interested inuyoukai. "Over here, Jano has been badly injured."

She moved quickly enough, her placid expression hardly flickering as she knelt beside Jano's still form. Her movements were swift and professional, stripping away the makeshift bandage and showing no hesitation as her pale fingers prodded the wound.

"How long?" she asked, her tone calm, but Miroku could plainly hear a hint of worry edging through the professional mask.

"A few hours," he answered quietly, watching her carefully. He'd listened to the rumors of the fortress too. If they were to be believed, Makiko had more reason than he to be concerned with Jano's life. Her dark eyes locked on his, holding him with a seriousness that had unsettled many a hardened warrior.

"What did this, I smell a toxin coming from this wound?"

"Poison," Naota said. "Toxic youki."

Makiko gave him a shrewd glance and Miroku realized that she'd already guessed that much. "What manner of demon?" she asked, knowing that different breeds of lower youkai harbored specific poisons. Some were used for defense; some for attack and knowing exactly what had injured Jano would go a long way in determining her treatment.

Naota bit his lip for a moment before surprising Miroku. "Inuyoukai. Very strong, powerful. Perhaps…daiyoukai. Like Sesshomaru."

"Not possible," the woman breathed, her eyes widening in shock. "Sesshomaru-sama would never…"

"I didn't say he did," Naota snapped, looking peeved. "Sessh might be a bastard, but even I know he'd never hurt Jano!"

Makiko sat back on her heels, staring hard at the human before her. Cautiously, she sniffed the air and frowned. "I don't know you," she said coolly. "But you are no human even if you are pretending to be one. Explain how you know this."

He sighed, raking a hand through his tangled black hair. "My name is Naota."

Her eyes widened and for a moment, Miroku saw something flicker in her expression. "Of course," she said, as if that explained everything. Makiko stood and directed two of the guards to take Jano to the infirmary, and then she sent a maid to fetch two of Jano's captains. Miroku didn't miss that her authority seemed to stretch beyond what he would have assumed in her role of head of the household's staff. As before, he was certain there was more to Makiko than met the eye.

Then the woman noticed Rin, clinging miserably to the back of his robes. Shippou was next to her, almost asleep on his feet from the look of it. Smiling faintly, she went to the children and ran her hand over Rin's hair. Tears welled in the girl's eyes, her small shoulders starting to tremble.

"Are you angry with me for running away?" Rin asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course not," Makiko said quietly. "I'm just glad that you're safe. Don't worry, Rin. Jano will be fine, he's far too stubborn to die on me." She waved to one of the serving girls who rushed forward to take the little girl by the hand.

"Now go right to bed," Makiko admonished. Her eyes strayed to Shippou and then fastened on Miroku's face with a purely speculative interest. The monk found himself shifting nervously under that stolid gaze until, blushing, he had to look away.

"I think you two could also do with some rest," she said, a whisper of a smile at her lips.

"You are very generous, Makiko-san," he answered, trying for gallantry but ending up sounding worn and exhausted.

"No, I'm not," she replied, still giving him the strangest smile. "I just think that you'll need to regain your strength before you have to encounter my sister again."

A monk could well blush, catching yet another taste of inuyoukai humor as Makiko swept away from them.

"What was that about?" Naota asked, scratching at his head. Miroku smiled sheepishly as Shippou yawned.

"One more thing," the woman called, starting to climb the stone stairs that would take her to the infirmary where she would be able to treat Jano's wound. They looked up at her expectantly.

"Welcome home, Naota-sama."

oOo

The sun was slowly sinking behind the mountains that ringed the valley, its light fading and painting the sky with violet and orange streaks. It cast long shadows against cool stone walls, made the green lands around the fortress fade into gray mists. Standing on the very same tower that his cousin was known to frequent when his thoughts were troubled, Naota raised a hand to shade his eyes against the dying light.

If he peered hard into the distance, he could almost see the vast field of wildflowers he knew bordered this side of valley. When they'd flown over the mountains on Kirara's back, he'd been too preoccupied with keeping Jano alive long enough to reach the fortress' healer to search for the wildflower field. Or maybe he'd just been trying to keep himself thinking about it. It had been nearly a century since he'd left; slipped away from the fortress that was the only home he'd ever known.

It had been raining hard that night when he'd stolen away from his home like the traitor he knew himself to be. Sesshomaru had every right to despise him for his betrayal. That night he'd followed his heart, gone to save the life of a woman and baby instead of preventing a civil war. Hundreds of inuyoukai had died; perhaps thousands of innocent humans had been caught in the battles. Their deaths were on his conscience like a stain he could never erase from his soul.

Still, he wished he'd seen the wildflowers, he should have paid his respects but even in that he'd turned away. In that field stood a simple monument, the markings on it had faded over the years, but Naota could still trace the ancient letters in his mind. He'd stood before it many times, thinking, reflecting. Wondering.

It was his mother's grave.

It was also the site of his family's massacre. In a blind rage, his father Inoki had slaughtered Naota's mother along with his brothers and sisters. Naota had been the sole survivor, a helpless baby found amongst the rubble. From there he'd been taken to this very fortress and raised by his uncle, treated more as a son than the child of a murderer. He'd been raised with love, taught honor and respect and in the end; he'd repaid his uncle's affection with nothing but disgrace.

It wasn't Sesshomaru's anger that had kept him from returning here. It was his own shame. Over the years, he'd learned to live with it, taught himself to believe that he'd done the right thing in spite of the cost. Now he found himself facing the same ghosts that he'd tried to so hard to forget. In this place, he couldn't make himself forget that he was part demon. The sights, the smells, the very familiar touch of his uncle's power still lingered here.

Madness was his family's legacy it seemed.

Why hadn't he noticed it before?

Maybe he'd been distracted by the wolf demons, maybe he'd just been a fool, thinking that he was somehow immune. Maybe he'd been blinded by his grievance with his cousin or just plain too stupid to understand what had been happening.

Ever since he'd found Jano in the forest, it had been nagging at him. The toxin that had poisoned Jano was rare, quite rare. In fact, it was specific to one particular line of inuyoukai, one bloodline.

His bloodline.

How had he been such a fool? He was certain he knew the identity of the darkness that stalked the forest, the monster that had taken Sesshomaru's mate from him and joined forces with the abomination that was called Naraku.

Naota sighed, leaning against the wall and becoming lost again in the memories of his childhood home. "Uncle," he whispered, sadness overwhelming him and again he wondered how he was going to tell the Daimyo's sons the nature of what they faced. And the hopelessness of defeating such power.

"It seems we have both returned home."


	44. FortyFour

_**Chapter FortyFour**_

Sesshomaru was so angry he could hardly see straight, but he knew one thing for certain. As soon as he found out the details of what had happened to his wife, he was going to kill his little brother.

"Damn it, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha twisted violently and forced his brother to break his grip. "I don't know where she is!"

"Then I have no reason to keep you alive," Sesshomaru hissed. Quick as a flash he sent a streak of bright green youki to strike at Inuyasha. The hanyou threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding his brother's attack. Sesshomaru came after him again, this time cocking back his fist for the sheer satisfaction of striking Inuyasha with his bare flesh.

Inuyasha growled and ran at him, finally managing to land a hard punch to Sesshomaru's jaw. "Just listen to me, you stupid asshole," he shouted, grabbing a handful of Sesshomaru's fur pelt. "He got Kagome too, that son of a bitch took them both!"

"So you also failed to protect your own mate?" Sesshomaru snarled angrily. He caught Inuyasha's hair and twisted until the hanyou had to let go of him. Then he slapped his brother so hard that Inuyasha staggered and nearly fell to the ground.

"How dare you call yourself even half a demon?" Sesshomaru raged, his eyes glinting crimson in his fury. "You are a weak, pathetic excuse for a hanyou; even with our father's sword you cannot protect what you call your own!"

Inuyasha wiped a trickle of blood off his chin, glowering at his brother. "I'm sick of your bullshit," he spat. "You bastard, why are you even pretending that you care about Sango? Didn't you throw her out?"

Flexing his claws, Sesshomaru advanced on his younger brother with a malicious gleam in his eyes. "My personal affairs are not your concern," he said coldly. "She is my wife and carries my child. I do not answer to you!"

Inuyasha stared him dead in the eye. "She's too good for you and you know it," he whispered. "Sooner or later you'll figure that out and so will she, Sango and her baby are better off without you."

"How dare you," the youkai hissed. He reached out and caught Inuyasha by the throat, even angrier when his younger brother made no attempt to evade him.

"And when Sango realizes what you really are," Inuyasha said quietly, driving each word into his brother like a blade. "She'll leave you on her own."

Sesshomaru froze, stunned to angry silence as his half-breed brother named his deepest fear. He had made a grave mistake with Sango; he had shattered the trust that he'd tried so hard to build. And he had only his own jealousy and distrust to blame. Slowly, he unbent his fingers and released Inuyasha, turning away so that there was no chance of the hanyou seeing that even Sesshomaru's mask might crack.

"Be that as it may," he whispered, looking up at the trees for answers. "If she chooses to stay with me, it is her choice. I…no longer need to keep her with me if it is only by force."

Inuyasha rubbed his throat, wondering at Sesshomaru's sudden change of demeanor. Could it be the bastard was actually having regrets about what he'd done? It seemed unlikely, but Sesshomaru caring enough for a human to call her his wife had seemed unlikely too. Maybe, just maybe, he had been wrong to think that Sesshomaru was unchangeable. After all, if a rude and stupid hanyou could be changed, wasn't anything possible?

Awkwardly, he shuffled his feet, not knowing what to say to his older brother if it wasn't an insult or a challenge. He scowled, realizing that they were just wasting time by standing here.

"Sango's tough," he said gruffly, folding his arms into his sleeves. "I'm sure she's alive."

"If she's not, I will hold you responsible," Sesshomaru murmured. "I won't forgive you, Inuyasha."

"You bastard," the hanyou spat.

Sesshomaru smiled faintly, casting a glance over his shoulder. "I believe our father married my mother," he said calmly, watching as Inuyasha's face turned almost purple with rage. "Can you say the same? Choose your insults more wisely, little brother."

For a moment, he thought seriously about trying to strangle Sesshomaru and then with a rare moment of insight, Inuyasha swallowed his anger. The son of a bitch was trying to get under his skin, just like always. He managed to grin, not realizing that his fierce expression mirrored his brother's at the moment.

"I'm not the only one who needs to watch his mouth," Inuyasha drawled. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and affected an expression of icy disinterest before replying.

"How so?"

Inuyasha's smile widened until it was positively malicious. "Just that the next time you call me a dirty half-breed, you might want to make sure that your wife isn't around. Remember, I've seen Sango's temper in action."

The corner of Sesshomaru's mouth quirked in what might have been a smile, but it vanished quickly and a serious expression settled in his eyes. "I'm not here to waste time with idle conversation," he said softly. "Tell me what happened that you have lost both my mate and yours, Inuyasha."

"He's an idiot, that's what fucking happened!"

The brothers both turned, having completely forgotten the presence of Kouga and his companions. "Are you still here, stupid?" Inuyasha barked.

The wolf demon looked angry, glaring from one white haired son of a bitch to the other. Stupid bastards wanted to have their arguments, fine. They could kill each other for all he cared, as long as he was able to rescue Kagome. He didn't mind grinding in the fact that both Sango and Kagome were missing due to Inuyasha's stupidity; it was obvious the mutt had a problem with his older sibling. He sure as hell didn't like Sesshomaru, but the daiyoukai wasn't as dense as his half-breed brother.

"Something took them both," the wolf said bluntly, dismissing Inuyasha and pretending not to enjoy the angry flush that lit the hanyou's face. "Same thing that tore the hell out of me before Naraku dropped me at your fucking fortress. Now mutt-face might not give a damn, but I want Kagome back."

"Are you saying that Naraku's minion has taken my wife hostage?" Sesshomaru said, deadly intent radiating from his soft voice. His eyes glittered at his younger brother. "You careless fool, if you've involved my wife…"

"She was already involved," Inuyasha snarled "That's what you keep forgetting, Sango has her own revenge to settle against Naraku."

"I forget nothing," Sesshomaru hissed, his fangs glinting as he bared his teeth at Inuyasha. How dare the whelp accuse him? "I specifically sent Jano to protect her, since you are so obviously incapable of doing anything right, and now I find my bodyguard's blood coating the ground. Are you responsible for that as well, little brother?"

"Don't you accuse me of that!" Inuyasha shouted. "I didn't tell him to get himself killed!"

Sesshomaru's face turned even paler, making his eyes seem ghostly. "Killed?" he whispered. He refused to believe it. Jano was injured, but no doubt he was still at his duty, tracking Sango somewhere in the forest. It simply wasn't possible.

Kouga stepped up and smacked Inuyasha on the back of the head. "Tell him," the wolf hissed, his pale eyes going dark with anger. "Tell him what really happened!"

"We were attacked," Inuyasha said bitterly, looking away. It was his fault, no matter how much he hated to admit it. "We got separated, Sango went after Kohaku, and Kagome went after Sango. They were attacked and Jano must have tried to defend them. I thought he was already dead, but Naota said not."

The effect of that name upon Sesshomaru was startling. His brother's face was transcended by sudden rage and he moved like a flash to seize Inuyasha by the front of his haori. "Naota was here?" he demanded, his eyes glowing crimson with fury and the marks on his face writhing as he fought to contain his true form.

Inuyasha slapped his hand away. "That's what I've been trying to tell you!" he bellowed. "If you'd just fucking shut up…"

"I told that traitorous whelp to stay away from my lands…"

Grinning, Inuyasha couldn't help but enjoy seeing his cold, implacable brother nearly frothing at the mouth. If the situation hadn't been so grim, if he hadn't been worried sick about Kagome, he would have loved every minute of Sesshomaru's distress. Then his smile faded slowly and he glanced up at the sky. Kagome was out there, maybe suffering, and he was too busy fighting with Sesshomaru to find her?

The hell!

Sesshomaru glared at Inuyasha as the hanyou shrugged and turned away. "I don't give a damn what your problem with Naota is," he muttered. "He took Jano back to the fortress, you can find him there and kill him if you want."

"We will see." Sesshomaru looked up at the sky and sniffed the air again. No sign, no trace of his mate. It was as if her essence had vanished from the earth, but he refused to give up and cast a calculating gaze at Kouga.

"Tell me, wolf," he said, ignoring Kouga's angry look at being addressed so casually. "You said that you tracked this creature, how did you find its trail?"

Kouga scratched at the back of his head, embarrassed to admit the truth in front of Inuyasha. "It wasn't easy," he said, doing his best to look thoughtful. "If I weren't so skilled at tracking…"

"Bullshit," Inuyasha sneered. "I already heard those two morons of yours talking. You lost the scent over and over, it was Naota who found him again."

"That noseblind human wouldn't know a scent if it jumped up and bit him on the ass," Kouga answered hotly. "He couldn't smell your stink from downwind!"

"You saying I stink? No wonder you lost the trail, probably can't smell it over your own reek, mangy-wolf!"

"Silence!" Sesshomaru didn't have to raise his voice, the pure malice of his tone was enough to stop both Inuyasha and Kouga from their arguing. He sighed, letting a very old memory wash over him. Some of the memories were pleasant, others no more than bittersweet. For nearly a century he'd avoided thinking about his cousin, even if those memories of their childhood were some of the happiest he possessed.

He turned away, lost in his own dark thoughts before realizing that Inuyasha and Kouga were still watching him. The trail was cold, there was no chance however remote that these two would be able to pick it up again. His eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed up at the late afternoon sky. Particularly tonight, he mused, his younger brother would have a difficult time tracking the scent.

"I am returning to the fortress," he said quietly.

"You're giving up?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"Fool," Sesshomaru hissed, but he found that he didn't have the heart for malice. His mate was somewhere out there, in the hands of an abomination or a madman. "I will never give up."

oOo

"So," Miroku said, leaning with his chin resting on his fist. "Here we are again."

"I don't feel so good," Shippou moaned. The monk smiled at him, noticing the kitsune's hands as they went to his bulging stomach.

"I'm not surprised," he said dryly. "I thought you were never going to stop eating. Don't you think that's a little disrespectful under the circumstances?"

Shippou looked abashed. "I always eat when I'm worried," he said defensively. "And I'm really worried about Kagome and Sango. Do you think Inuyasha will find them?"

"I'm sure of it," Miroku answered. His fingertips drummed on the tabletop as he looked down at his own uneaten meal. He hadn't been able to force himself to take any of the excellent supper, unlike Shippou, his stomach was too twisted with worry to eat. He had to smile as the young kitsune yawned widely, almost falling over in his seat. The poor kid had to be exhausted, Rin had barely even opened her eyes before Makiko's people had taken her away.

"Why don't you try to rest for now," he said kindly. Shippou was already curling up on the floor next to Kirara, nestling his face in the tired kitten's soft fur.

"I'm just closing my eyes for a minute," the fox said.

Miroku sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was feeling more than a little tired himself, but he didn't feel easy enough to sleep. He wished more than ever that he'd stayed with Inuyasha to search for Kagome and Sango. He knew that he would have probably only held the hanyou back, but he hadn't counted on how lost and helpless he'd feel once they returned to the safety of the fortress. His friends were in trouble, he could feel it in his bones, in his cursed palm.

What kind of a fool was he to have just left them?

"There was nothing you could do," a quiet voice answered him. Miroku glanced up and smiled faintly at Naota's words. The young man who was apparently neither young nor a man smiled back at him, easing into a seat near the sleeping kitsune. He reached out to ruffle Shippou's hair, receiving a sleepy purr from Kirara who only opened one eye to look at him.

"What makes you think you know what I'm thinking?" Miroku asked idly. "Can you read minds as well?"

Naota gave him a wry smile. "I'm not that unlucky," he said lightly. "But I know how I'd feel if my friends were missing while I sat safe. You couldn't have gone with them, Miroku."

Irritated, the monk shoved away from the table. "I know I couldn't have kept up with Inuyasha and Kouga," he said, his tone dark. "But I should have tried, maybe Kirara could have come back for me. We could have gone on together."

"She's tired too," Naota answered. He leaned back and folded his arms, giving the monk a direct glare. "You'd still be sitting on your ass in that forest, wondering what was happening. Only you'd be alone and cold."

"Better than here and warm," Miroku said bitterly.

Naota shrugged. "Whining about it to me won't help," he said flatly, his eyes shadowed with his own worries. "As soon as she's rested, Kirara will take you to wherever Inuyasha is. I don't know if she'll be able to track that monster, but she should be able to find my cousin."

"Speaking of your cousin," Miroku said, "I understand you aren't particularly welcome here. What are you going to do when Sesshomaru returns?"

Smirking, Naota only shook his head. "Don't worry about me, monk. He hasn't killed me yet." His eyes darkened and he looked away. "Not that he doesn't have a damn good reason to do it."

Miroku frowned, hearing pain and old regrets in the man's voice. "What happened between you two?"

"I betrayed him."

The monk laughed softly and shook his head. "You don't seem to be the type who betrays your family. And Sesshomaru isn't the kind of demon who would let someone betray him and live. What happened, was it over a woman?"

He was only joking, making light of the tension that seemed to drive his strange companion. To his surprise, Naota sighed and nodded, seeming to age before his eyes. "As a matter of fact, she had a lot to do with it."

"Houshi-sama?"

They both turned and Miroku suddenly sat up straighter, a flush darkening his cheeks for a moment as he met the young woman's eyes. "Aiko," he murmured, thinking that she couldn't possibly have grown more beautiful.

"Forgive me for interrupting you, houshi-sama, Naota-sama," she said, breaking his gaze and bowing deeply. "I have been sent to bring you, houshi-sama."

"By Makiko?" he asked.

Naota also sat up straighter, fixing the girl with a piercing look. "Is it Jano?" he demanded.

Aiko only looked at her feet. "Jano-san seems to be recovering, Naota-sama," she said quietly. "Makiko-san has not sent for you."

Miroku shrugged and stood up. He picked up his staff and cast an appraising look at the sleeping Shippou and Kirara. "Do you mind keeping an eye on them?" he asked.

Lazily, Naota leaned back and waved him away. "Don't worry about it. It's the kitchen that should be worried, I didn't know a kit that size could eat three times his weight."

Miroku followed Aiko from the room, a faint smile of appreciation on his face as he reminded himself about the shape of her hips. The girl didn't look at him, walking sedately with her long braid barely swaying between her shoulder blades. He wondered what the problem was, if Makiko had really sent for him and for what reason. Suddenly he wondered if Sesshomaru had returned and reached up to gingerly feel the bruises on his throat.

"Aiko-san," he said politely, drawing closer to her. "Can you tell me who has sent for me? Has Sesshomaru-sama returned?"

"Not yet, houshi-sama," she said placidly. "I believe the guard has posted a watch for his return, but we are not expecting him."

Her continual politeness was grating on his nerves. It just wasn't normal, he decided grumpily. He'd missed her a bit more than he'd expected, it would have been nice to have a bit more enthusiastic greeting. She'd been so passionate when he'd left, honestly, he'd thought he'd made more of an impression.

"So, have you been well, Aiko?" he asked, letting himself use her name because it rolled so familiarly on his tongue. Pretty name, pretty girl, he thought. She didn't turn to look at him as she led him down another long corridor. He rather thought she was taking him deeper into the fortress, not out to the courtyard as he'd expected.

"I have been quite well," she murmured, her voice as gentle and quiet as her demeanor. "Thank you so much for your concern."

Miroku stopped, his hands gripping his staff fiercely. "Have I done something to offend you, Aiko-san?" he asked.

She turned, a look of surprise in her warm brown eyes. "Of course not, houshi-sama," she said, sounding a bit startled by his question. "Have I given you such an impression?"

"No," he said evenly, counting to himself to hold his temper. "But I had thought we were close enough talk less formally, at least in private."

Aiko tilted her head to the side, still maddeningly obtuse. Damn her, he couldn't tell what she was thinking. A human woman would be easier to read, Sango would never hide her anger if she were upset with him. Why did this youkai, yes, this youkai woman treat him like a stranger?

"Come with me," she said, turning away again with stiffness in her shoulders. Miroku grunted and followed her, turning again down another long corridor. This one was dimly lit, only two or three candles burning to illuminate its depths. He suddenly realized how far he was from the room where he'd left Naota. It occurred to him that other than Rin, he was the only human here. And not a particularly welcome one either, much in disfavor with the fortress' lord.

_A trap_, he wondered, starting to back away. He knew he couldn't rely on Naota to back him up and he'd gone and left Shippou and Kirara in the strange hanyou's care. Again, that was a reason to not trust Naota. He admitted to having some human blood, hid his demon heritage. Couldn't it be that Naota had some reason of his own to be here, one that didn't need a wayward monk tagging along?

"Aiko," he said harshly. "Tell me what this is about."

The attack came so fast that he was unable to defend himself. Without a word the youkai launched herself at him, throwing him to the floor with an agile ease that he had difficulty in countering. He brought up his staff to defend himself, but she slapped it out of his hands, sending it clattering down the hall. They wrestled silently, Aiko grappling with his wrists and managing to keep him off balance with her supple grace.

Finally she managed to flip him over on his back, straddling him with her thighs and holding him down with both hands on his shoulders. He was breathing hard, thinking it was a bit humiliating to be beaten by a slip of a girl, even if she was a full-blooded dog demon. He decided sullenly that he had misjudged her, she was again following her sister's orders. Miroku wondered what he had done to offend Makiko, but it didn't make sense. Perhaps this was a standing order of Sesshomaru's to eliminate a bothersome monk who might have influence over the exterminator Sesshomaru had chosen for a mate.

"Aiko," he whispered, loathing the thought of having to use the wind tunnel to defend himself against a woman he'd slept with. "What is this, are you betraying me? Are you following someone's orders? At least let me talk to them."

Her expression flickered and she leaned forward until her nose was almost touching his. "Do you think I'm going to kill you, little monk?"

Her tone was mocking and he flushed, realizing that she was calling into question more than just his manhood with her comment. "I think you won't find it easy," he replied.

"Easy?" she asked, leaning back and running her hands down his check. A small smile played at her lips as she gracefully started to shrug out of her yukata. "What does easy have to do with it?"

He stared at her, realizing that he'd misinterpreted both her distance and her intentions. "You attacked me!"

Aiko's delighted laugh rang against the cool walls of the corridor. "Of course I did! I missed you, Miroku. I've thought about nothing else but your touch since you left. Can't you tell when someone is happy to see you?"

Miroku groaned, remembering a few choice comments from Naota during their hurried flight on Kirara. Inuyoukai girls. It seemed like he was under attack but he sincerely hoped it wouldn't be lethal. He turned his face to the side passively, showing her his throat, bruised as it was.

"I'm completely at your mercy."

She growled, pressing her body down on his. "I like that," she answered, her voice rough and almost feral. "Do you want me to be merciful?"

Well, he wasn't a complete idiot. Miroku grinned at her, letting his hands wander up over her thighs. Aiko's eyes flashed at him as he caressed her hips, feeling the smooth taut skin welcoming him. Desire was flooding him, blocking out all other thoughts. Aiko arched her back as he slid his hands around her waist, grinding her hips into his with a knowing intent.

"Do you want me to be merciful?" she asked again, letting her clothing fall away from her skin, offering the sight to him like a gift. Miroku decided he could let her do whatever she wanted or he could try to take the advantage. The former was the safe option; Naota said that inuyoukai tended to be possessive. If Aiko had decided he belonged to her, she would do whatever she wanted. But she wouldn't really be able to regard him as a male either. If he wanted more than to be used as a toy by an avid demon, he needed to show her his initiative.

_What a choice_, he mused, smiling to himself.

He remained passive while Aiko started to remove his clothing, her fingers quick and expert with the complex knots of his monk's robe. Just as she finished, sliding her hands possessively over his chest, Miroku seized his opportunity. He grabbed her wrists with both hands and twisted his body so that she was momentarily thrown off balance. Aiko growled at him as he flipped her over, using his weight for leverage and trapping her under him.

"Now," Miroku said pleasantly, kissing the startled girl on the nose. "Tell me again about how much you missed me."

oOo

It hurt to breathe. That was his first conscious thought as he slowly awakened. It hurt to breathe, it hurt even more to move. His body felt like it was one big mass of bruises, but it was the pain in his gut that really got his attention. If Jano had ever considered how it would feel to have all of his internal organs ripped out, this was exactly how he would have guessed it would feel.

He raised a hand, fumbling over the bedclothes until he found the bare skin of his chest and slowly reached down to encounter the bandages. There were a lot of them. This wasn't good, there was a burning sensation under those bandages, one that not only stung like a bitch, and it made him damn nauseous to think about it. Grimacing, he decided to open his eyes and find out if he was going to live.

"Seems like I lost a fight," he muttered.

A shadow blocked the light suddenly and Jano flinched involuntarily. A cool hand brushed his forehead and for the first time he realized he was a bit feverish. It bothered him more that he couldn't focus his eyes, but he knew who was tending him. Like he wouldn't remember that scent. In fact, he was really disappointed he couldn't see clearly, the way she was leaning over him right now, he'd have the most splendid view.

"You lost more than a fight, Jano-san," her voice said, cool and professional. "You very nearly lost your life."

"Makiko, my love," he began, reaching blindly for her hands.

She evaded him easily and tucked his arms under the blankets. "If you're wondering why you can't see," she said calmly, "it's the aftereffects of that creature's toxins. We were lucky to be able to flush it from your system, but I beg you to not exert yourself."

_She's pissed_, he decided, huddling under the blankets like a sickly pup. The absolute neutrality of her tone, calm, unhurried, spoke volumes. If it had been nothing, she'd already be cursing him out for being so stupid as to nearly die.

"I do feel quite weak," he confessed, easing back against the soft futon and closing his blurry eyes. "I will probably have to be watched carefully, Makiko-san."

The woman didn't answer, moving away from him and making rattling noises as she collected her supplies. "Yes," she answered quietly. "I imagine you will have to be tended and allowed to slowly regain your strength."

_That was a little more like it_, Jano thought, feeling smug in the idea that Makiko would be at his side, lovingly urging him back to health. Wasn't that just almost dying for?

A male voice startled him, low and measured. "Almost is too vague a term, I fear, for what you experienced."

"Barou?" Jano struggled to sit up, fighting against the damn blankets. The very last son of a bitch he wanted to talk to when he was lying flat on his back. The same son of a bitch that could read every thought that crested in his mind. And didn't have the damn decency to keep his mouth shut either.

"See, Makiko-san," Barou said lightly. "I told you he was going to wake up feeling feisty. Death will only enhance this one's taste for life."

Death? Jano glared at the blurry outline he knew was Barou. "I'm not dead, you condescending asshole!"

Barou made a clucking sound with his tongue. "Not at the moment."

Suddenly all the strength seemed to leave his body and Jano sagged against the bed again, feeling sickened. "Not at the moment?" he echoed hollowly. Jano winced and reached up to cover his face with his hands.

"Please," he begged. "Tell me that Sessh didn't use that damn sword on me! I told him that if he ever found me dead he was just supposed to leave me that way!"

"Don't be so dramatic," Barou scolded mildly. "Sesshomaru-sama has more important things worry about than you. If you had died in his service, I'm sure he would honor your wishes."

"Unless he brought me back to curse me for dying," Jano muttered.

Barou chuckled. "See, Makiko-san," he said, gesturing around the room with a smile. "He's already thinking like himself again. The poison has truly been cleansed from his system if he's up for his usual self-pity."

"Yes, Barou-sama," Makiko answered, her tone as smooth as the polished floors of the fortress. Jano didn't like the way it sounded, too flat, too impersonal to belong to the same woman who had only recently bedded him to near exhaustion. Was she that angry? Was she so disgusted by his failure that she didn't even care if he died?

"Makiko," he whispered.

Barou cleared his throat. "Actually, Sesshomaru-sama only just returned a few moments ago. I will pass your regards to him and let him know that you're on your way to a full recovery."

"Barou, wait," Jano said, his hands clenching in the bedclothes. He hated to ask, he had to know the truth. "Tell me, did I die or not?"

There was a long silence and Jano scowled, hating the way Barou would do this. For someone that knew entirely too much of what went on in the minds of others, he was remarkably unsympathetic to those who were left in the dark. Makiko's grave demeanor and Barou's cryptic comments really weren't helping his stomach to stop throbbing either.

"I believe you might have come close enough to death to see the other side," Barou murmured, almost to himself. "You certainly would have died if someone hadn't provided the precise antidote to that particular poison. Luck may have not been on your side in your battle, Jano-san, but it was definitely with you for Naota-sama to have come to your rescue when you needed him most."

Obviously his injuries were affecting his hearing and Jano raised his hands to rub at his eyes and try to clear some of the fuzziness from his mind. He could swear that Barou had just said the name Naota. That was impossible, even if Naota had any reason to be in the territory, and he didn't, there was no way that fate would have brought him to the fortress.

"I'm not feeling too good," he muttered, one hand going to his sore belly. "I thought I heard you say that Naota rescued me."

He heard a snort that didn't sound like Barou and Jano's heart gave a hard thump when the snort turned into a chuckle. "That's all the thanks I'm gonna get, Jano? Shit, I thought we were friends!"

He sat up, damn the pain, and glared at the dark figure that had settled on the edge of his bed. Sniffing the air, he had to believe his nose even if his eyes weren't cooperating yet. "Is that really you, Ta-kun?"

"Yeah, it's me." Naota sighed and raked his hand through his hair, glancing up to meet Barou's eyes. "You want to explain what happened to your head?"

Jano blinked. "My head?"

"Yeah, stupid," Naota said harshly. "What the hell were you thinking, taking on something like that by yourself? I figured you must have cracked your skull to do something that stupid. You're lucky he didn't just murder you before you raised your sword!"

Jano didn't answer and Barou cleared his throat, reaching out to touch Naota's shoulder. "Ta-kun," he said quietly.

Naota slapped Barou's hand away with a sullen growl. "You saw him, didn't you, Barou? I recognize those marks on your face. Tell me that Jano wasn't an idiot for taking on that monster by himself!"

"I didn't have a choice," Jano murmured, knowing that Makiko was still present and listening. "I had to protect the woman."

"And you did a great job," Naota sneered, rising to pace restlessly around the room. "You want to tell me how much good you would have been to her if you'd died? You want to explain how getting yourself killed by the…by that thing would have helped Sango and Kagome?"

"It was my duty."

Disgusted, Naota laughed, his voice harsh and mocking. "Oh yes, I forgot. Your loyalty to my dear cousin means that you get to throw your life away. Like your loyalty means a damn thing when…"

"At least he understands the meaning of the word," a cold voice interrupted.

The air seemed to chill and Naota's face twisted in a bitter smile. Slowly, he turned around and faced the doorway where Sesshomaru was standing. "Well," he said, his voice every bit as chill and hard as the air. "You've returned."

"As have you," Sesshomaru answered. Tension built as he slowly crossed the room, his face set carefully into an expressionless mask. His anger radiated from him in an aura of malice. Years of bitterness, years of betrayal, it washed over him but he let only his eyes be touched by his emotion. They glittered like sun scorched glass and now, hearing Naota's words, he felt like he could burn the traitor to the ground.

If he didn't need him.

Deliberately, because he knew nothing would anger his cousin more, Sesshomaru turned away and went to stand next to Jano's bedside. He glanced at Makiko but her expression was tightly controlled, giving nothing away. Still, he could smell the lingering scent of poison in the air. Sesshomaru frowned slightly, he knew this scent. It was unlikely that he'd ever mistake it, but as it was also impossible, he decided something was trying to trick him.

"Barou," he said quietly. "Have you determined that the demon that attacked Jano is the same demon that you fought with?"

"Of course, my lord," Barou answered.

Naota grunted, his expression still bitter. "So, cousin," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "How long are you planning on letting that abomination have free rein over your territory? Have you been so distracted by your personal affairs that you've forgotten your duty as lord of the West?"

"Naota," Sesshomaru murmured. "Still your tongue before I forget that I'm tolerating your presence here. A traitor and a murderer has no place within my father's fortress."

Jano sat up, leaning on his elbow when a painful hitch in his gut told him he'd better lie still. Only he had a feeling that things were only going to get worse and just like when they were children, he was the only one who could keep these two from each others' throats. "Sessh," he said, feeling the weakness return. "I apologize, it's my fault. I wasn't able to protect her."

Sesshomaru didn't even glance at him. "Quiet, Jano. If I had known that Naraku would let his minion target my wife, I never would have let her leave."

"The way I heard it," Naota said coldly, fixing his cousin with an icy glare, "you threw the woman out when she wouldn't obey. Haven't you learned in all these years that you can't expect to command the hearts of people like you would command an army?"

"I'm warning you, cousin," Sesshomaru said dangerously.

Naota grinned, his eyes lit from within by some strange fire. His voice dropped to a hiss of contempt. "If you were half the man your father was, you'd understand what it means to give a damn about someone. I can see right now you're still every bit the selfish bastard you were back when he was alive!"

"Don't you dare talk to me about selfishness," Sesshomaru said harshly. "Your betrayal caused a civil war that nearly destroyed my father's territory."

Naota leaned over Jano's bed, never taking his eyes from his furious cousin's. "I know," he answered, his voice raw like an unhealed wound. "And I'd do it again. In a fucking heartbeat!"

"Enough!"

Makiko had been standing quietly to the side, listening and taking in the strange confrontation. Apparently, Naota-sama was living up to his reputation and no doubt her lord was about to destroy him. But she wasn't going to permit it, not at this moment and not in this place. She hadn't missed the pain that had crossed Jano's features, not a physical pain from his wound, but a heartsick expression that tore at her.

"I will not permit you to continue this argument in the presence of my patient," she said, her eyes glittering as she looked from her lord to his bitter cousin. "Jano-san is weakened from the toxins and needs rest to heal. I beg you, my lords, take your discussion elsewhere before you cause him more damage."

Sesshomaru cast a quick glance down at his injured bodyguard, noticing again the unhealthy paleness of his face. He was not here to fight with Naota, he was not here to open old arguments and cast blame. Naota knew damned well what he'd done and the cost of his betrayal. It was time for his cousin to pay back the debt that he had incurred with his willfulness and his disobedience. Sesshomaru had every intention of forcing payment for that debt from him.

He turned and stalked out the door, gesturing at Naota to follow him. "Follow me," he said in a voice that allowed for no argument.

"Whatever," Naota muttered, wondering why he bothered. It would just be easier to leave before either of them had to resort to violence. However, he found that there were a great many things he'd wanted to say to Sesshomaru over the years, things that needed to be said before they ate at him for any longer. Since he was already here, they might as well have it out. It had been a very long time in coming.

oOo

Inuyasha scowled at the horizon, daring the sun to actually set. He couldn't believe that he was doing this; he should have stayed in the forest even if it meant spending the night near the mangy wolf. He would have been more comfortable if he'd been alone, but he was too worried about Kagome. He didn't think he could stand it if he tried to treat tonight like any other night.

There was no moon.

He'd fucking forgotten about it, too consumed by worry and stress. Too busy being angry with his brother; too busy trying to keep himself from going insane from being separated from Kagome. Inuyasha snorted and reached up touch one of his ears. It was still there, but not for long.

"Why did I let him talk me into this?" he muttered, looking out over the mountains that ringed the valley. It was a beautiful place, but Inuyasha refused to let his blood be swayed by mere beauty. He was sure the fortress hadn't been built here because of the pretty view. The mountains were all but impassable unless you knew the right way to go, a natural fortification that was enhanced by the way the mists rose and obscured the stone structure.

_A fortress within a fortress_, he thought grimly. He wondered about the other clans of inuyoukai, supposedly out there, supposedly his brother's allies. And his enemies, dog demons being a capricious bunch to begin with. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine it. Armies of inuyoukai warriors, hundreds of them, maybe thousands. Banners swaying in the breeze, battle cries and the laughter of comrades. He could see spears bristling like spines over the massed warriors; he could see the pitched battle as thousands clashed over and over.

He could hear the screams of the wounded, the defiance of the dying who fought to their last breath. The army would fight to the very last warrior, spurred on by loyalty and…love…of the one who commanded them. Then on the horizon, like a shining beacon, a figure that was so bright it hurt the eyes to look upon him. He saw a great sword, the blade of it glowing almost as brightly as the man who held it and his heart swelled until he thought it would burst. Instinct that he barely recognized called him to that warrior's side, urged him to fight beyond his endurance, even to sacrifice himself because that person, that lord, was worth dying for.

_A loyalty that couldn't be shattered, a vow that couldn't be broken, a command that couldn't be denied_…

Inuyasha gasped, suddenly realizing that he was standing alone on a tall tower, looking out over a valley as the sun began to dip beyond the mountains. There was no army; no shining figure and his heart gave a painful thump when he understood that he had been taken by a dream. This place held memories of its own and the unwary could be sucked into them like an undertow in the vast ocean.

"This place gives me the creeps," he whispered.

If it hadn't been a moonless night, he never would have agreed to return. He hadn't meant to do it at all; only as Sesshomaru turned to leave he'd glanced back at him and met his brother's eyes with a serious expression.

"I am not giving up. I'm returning to the fortress to speak to Naota. If he knows how to track Naraku's minion, he might be able to find out where it has taken our mates."

Then Sesshomaru had given a meaningful glance to the sky and almost smiled. "You may return with me, little brother. You will not be able to find Naraku on your own, at least not tonight."

"Why not?" he demanded, angry again that Sesshomaru seemed so bent on ridiculing him. The condescending son of a bitch couldn't find them either, what made him think that tonight would be any different? Even if it took him forever, he'd search out Kagome's scent, let it call him, draw him to her like a homing call. He couldn't lose her, not even if his nose seemed to be playing tricks on him and scents were wandering away and becoming indistinct.

Then he'd realized what night it was and he'd cursed himself bitterly. Of course he wouldn't be able to track her tonight, he wouldn't even be able to keep up with Kouga as a lowly human. It wouldn't stop him from trying, but then he scowled, thinking of enduring Kouga's ridicule on top of everything else.

So Sesshomaru thought that Naota could help him find Kagome and Sango. Thought so because he'd been the one who'd guided Kouga this far, to the place where they'd found Jano bleeding out his life all over the ground. And Miroku had gone with him, the monk understanding that without Kirara he wouldn't be able to keep pace with a frantic hanyou. And Kirara was the only way to get Jano back to the fortress in time to save his life.

"Damn it all," he muttered. Only the wind answered him, lifting his hair and twisting it around his face until in frustration he batted it away. He wasn't doing any good to Kagome by standing here; his restlessness was only compounded by the fact that he knew, once here, he was stuck for the night.

Maybe he should go find Miroku and Shippou, make sure they were okay. He'd even ask after Jano, make sure the asshole really hadn't died after all. Anything was better than just standing here.

He turned to leave and heard the sound of voices echoing up the stone staircase and hesitated. If he wasn't about to turn into a damn human, he was pretty sure he'd be able to hear them perfectly. Then one of the voices suddenly raised in a violent curse.

"Fuck you!"

Inuyasha found himself grinning. "Naota," he murmured, leaning against the wall and hoping he was going to hear the rest of it. He had a pretty good idea who would be on the receiving end of a curse like that; the silence that answered Naota's voice was enough of identification.

A moment later his older brother emerged from the dark staircase, his face even more of a stone mask than usual. He glowered at Inuyasha for a brief moment before stalking to the far end of the parapet. In contrast, Naota's expression was livid, fury burning his face a dark red. He barely spared a glance in Inuyasha's direction before stamping over to Sesshomaru.

"You gonna tell me what you want?" Naota asked. Sesshomaru didn't answer, only glanced over his shoulder and then shrugged. Naota made a long slow hiss of frustration and shook his head in disgust.

"Fine," he spat. "I'm leaving then. Good luck in find your woman, Sesshomaru. Good luck in finding anything left of her."

"Hey," Inuyasha said, watching as Naota spun away and headed for the stairway that he'd just emerged from. "Didn't he tell you what he needed?"

"Needed?" Naota looked confused, and then set his jaw stubbornly. "He didn't say he needed a damn thing."

Inuyasha groaned and covered his eyes. Damn Sesshomaru. "Look," he said, hoping that Naota wasn't so pissed off that he wouldn't help them just to be spiteful. "Kouga admitted that you were the one who was able to track that monster. I need to know how you did it."

Naota snorted. "He'll take you apart, kid."

"I don't care!" Inuyasha's shout made the stone fortress ring with his voice. "I don't care what you did, Naota. I don't care why Sesshomaru hates you. All I care about is finding Kagome and Sango. If he wasn't such a stubborn bastard, he'd admit that and just ask for your help."

"I will not ask for his help."

"You'd rather let Sango die?" Inuyasha growled menacingly. "You heartless piece of shit, I knew you didn't really care about her."

"You know nothing!"

"Then fucking ask him for his help," Inuyasha hissed. He turned on Naota next, advancing on his cousin with a dark glare. "And if you refuse, I'm going to beat you until you beg me to let you help us!"

Naota looked at him for a moment, his eyes shadowed and then he grinned. Inuyasha was startled as Naota began to laugh, shaking his head. "Okay," he said with a smirk. "At least you mean it."

Inuyasha glared at him. "What's so damn funny?"

"Nothing," Naota said, grinning easily now. "It's just that you looked so much like your father when you said that. I apologize, Inuyasha, of course I'll help you in any way I can. The Daimyo would expect it."

Sesshomaru made a disgusted sound. "And I expect that he would be ashamed of you both as well. Our father never begged for anyone's assistance, Inuyasha." Meeting Naota's fierce glare, his mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "And he'd never put conditions on his assistance if someone asked for his help."

Inuyasha noticed that for some reason, that comment seemed to strike home and Naota flinched, as if beset by guilt. Well, he didn't give a damn what crime Sesshoumaru thought Naota had committed. Ignoring his brother, Inuyasha folded his arms and glowered at his cousin.

"I don't give a flying fuck what he'd think about anything," he said bitterly.

"Is that so?" Sesshomaru turned to face them, the wind making his hair dance around him in the dying sunlight. "Perhaps you don't care what he'd think about Naota's betrayal? After all, plunging his territory into a civil war wouldn't mean a damn thing to him."

"I did what I thought was right," Naota answered. "You were the one who left me with no choice, Sesshomaru."

"No," Sesshomaru answered harshly. "I was the one who made the mistake in trusting you, Naota. I made the mistake of assuming you understood the gravity of the situation, the sacrifices that my father would have expected you to make. I made the mistake of assuming that you would, for once in your life, think like a youkai and know that there were things more important than the life of a single woman!"

"A woman?" Inuyasha asked. "This is over some woman?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru answered, noticing that Naota's face had gone pale. "He betrayed me by leaving when I needed him the most and it was for the love of a woman. A woman that he couldn't have, a woman that he wanted desperately enough to throw away everything honorable in his life."

"Shut up, Sessh," Naota hissed. "It's not what you think."

Sesshomaru's eyes glittered angrily. "What, do you think that my dear, younger brother doesn't have the right to know? It wasn't out of compassion or nobility that you betrayed your people. That in the end you were every bit the fool your father was, ready to throw away everything that you once held dear because you finally saw your chance to win her heart?"

"I…I didn't do it because of that," Naota murmured, his voice filled with pain. "I knew she wouldn't love me, not the way she loved him."

Smirking, Sesshomaru shook his head. "Even now you deny it," he hissed. "She had already refused you, hadn't she, Naota? Tell me, was she grateful to you when you appeared to rescue her, watch over and protect her? Did you make a condition of that also, like you would have if I'd asked your help?"

"I'd never do that!" Naota cried angrily. "You're the heartless bastard that would have let them both die."

"Maybe," Sesshomaru murmured. "Perhaps I should have made sure they were both dead so that your loyalty wouldn't have fractured at time when it was most needed. You accuse me of selfishness, Naota? How selfish were you the night you ran away from this fortress, not for love of my father or a wish to protect his woman and child?"

"Shut up," Naota whispered, his eyes closed so that he wouldn't have to look at his cousin. Not the cousin who was maliciously naming his deepest shame, but the other one, the one that had been too young to remember him from the first time they'd met.

"Our cousin is quite convinced of his own righteousness, little brother," Sesshomaru said quietly. "I imagine he'd managed to absolve himself of any guilt over the years, blaming me for my refusal to bring you to the fortress."

Inuyasha felt the blood drain from his face, he suddenly felt ill. "What are you saying, Sesshomaru?"

Naota wouldn't look at him and Inuyasha felt a pulse of power deep within his body. He turned to look at the sky, knowing even as he did that his hair had darkened to black, his eyes had turned human and the fangs and claws had disappeared just as he became certain he was about to use them. Helplessly, he looked down at his human hands before surging forward to grab Naota and bury his fists in his cousin's shirt.

"No," he whispered, disgusted and filled with hatred. "Say that he's lying, Naota!"

"Tell me, cousin" Sesshomaru asked, his voice pleasant and dry. "Did she submit to you then? Did you hold her baby's life hostage for her affections? It would have been easy, Naota. She was only a human woman, defenseless with a newborn baby in her arms. Do you really think that she had any choice about accepting you?"

Naota stared at the ground, his hair hanging in his face and a young hanyou turned human's hands at his throat. "No," he whispered, such shame filling him that he wished again that he had died. "I knew she didn't love me. I didn't care after that. I told myself that I could make her love me, I told myself that I was doing the right thing because I was protecting them both."

Somehow he'd always known this day would come, when he'd have to face Izayoi's son with the truth. She hadn't refused him, but he'd known all along that she only let him make love to her because she thought it was the only way to protect her child.

And he'd let her think that, knowing that if he'd said otherwise…she never would have let him love her, never let him touch her, hold her…

It had been a mistake, one he would never forgive himself for making. He raised his eyes, put both hands on Inuyasha's shoulders and stared into those eyes that reminded him so much of her.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha."


	45. FortyFive

_**Chapter FortyFive**_

_Many years ago_…

The rain had been falling steadily for three days and Izayoi was getting tired of it. She was grateful that Naota had found this place; it was certainly better than sitting cold and wet in the forest. But it was boring and isolated, it seemed like she was always so exhausted. Being cold and hungry was not how she had been raised.

The baby sleeping next to her gurgled and cooed, coming awake with a singular happiness that was as much a part of him as his golden eyes and soft white ears. Izayoi smiled and reached over to tuck the firerat robe tighter around his small body. He was so precious to her, the only precious thing left to her, this small part of the demon that she had fallen so in love with.

She missed him, missed him more than she'd thought was possible. And, she admitted to herself, she hadn't even really known the man that had fathered this child. Inutaisho had been mysterious, beautiful and compelling, but as much as he'd laughed and spoken freely, she'd known there were parts of him that he'd never share. She'd sensed a sadness lurking under that smile, a bitterness that ran as deep as the eastern sea.

And…he hadn't loved her. He'd treated her with gentleness and care, absentminded affection, but she'd known from the beginning that his wild heart wouldn't belong to her. Strangely enough, the knowledge hadn't made her bitter or jealous; it had only brought her a sense of longing and quiet peace. It was enough for her, who counted her lifetime in short numbered summers, to have captured even a little bit of his attention. And maybe, just maybe, his time with her had granted him a tiny portion of solace.

And he had given her a beautiful child. Fair enough trade.

The thunder suddenly boomed and Izayoi jumped, droplets of water splashing her face as Naota entered the hut. He was soaked to the skin and smiling that happy, infectious smile that made her heart lighten no matter how desperate their circumstances.

"There's a village not far from here," he said happily, plopping down next to her. His hair dripped in his face and the water ran off his shoulders, but Naota didn't seem to notice or care. "I was able to trade for some rice, a few things that you've been needing, and…" Naota paused for dramatic emphasis before pulling out a small package. "This is for you!"

Izayoi leaned closer and looked, letting out her breath in an excited gasp as she saw the lacquered wooden comb. "Oh," she said, reaching for the pretty thing. "It's beautiful, Naota!"

He beamed at her. "It cost me the last of our currency," he admitted, admiring the way her eyes were shining. "But I knew I had to buy it for you."

"The last of our currency?" she asked uncertainly. "Oh, Naota, you shouldn't have. We might have needed that money, we have nothing left!"

His smile dimmed a little, sensing her reproach for his impractical purchase. Izayoi bit her lip, realizing how ungrateful she sounded. She was deeply indebted to Naota for coming after her; there was no way she could have survived in the snowbound mountains with a newborn baby. She didn't even have shoes, warm clothing, or supplies. He'd found her huddled on the ground with her feet half frozen and a screaming baby at her breast. She was so scared that she'd burst into tears when she'd recognized him.

"I've come to protect you," Naota had said, kneeling in the snow to rub her cold hands. "Don't be afraid, Izayoi."

"Inu…Inutaisho-sama," she gasped out, trying to tell him the last thing her husband had told her. She was shaking too hard, her body convulsing from both shock and the icy winds. He had told her to tell them…

"Shhh," Naota said, reaching out to stroke her wet hair from her eyes. "I know, I know. He's dead, but you aren't. And I'm going to make sure that you and your baby are taken care of. Just leave it to me, I will protect you."

Smiling faintly, Izayoi reached up and twisted her hair back, inserting the wooden comb. Naota's expression lightened immediately at her smile and she saw that she had done the right thing. "Forgive me, Naota," she whispered. "I have been ungrateful and I owe everything to you."

What else could she do? Izayoi knew that she needed his help to survive, if she made him angry, perhaps he would just abandon her. His eyes were kind, but there was more to it than that. As much as she trusted him, she knew that Naota was still more demon than human. She couldn't rely on his compassion to preserve her, not if she drove him away with her rejection.

"I'm glad you like it," he said happily, turning away to stoke the meager fire. It was difficult finding enough dry wood to keep her warm, but so far they'd managed. Izayoi was a bit ashamed to discover how inept she was at taking care of herself. While he'd been gone, she'd managed to ruin the last of their food in trying to cook for herself. The rice had burned when she'd been distracted by Inuyasha, trying to keep her baby clean, warm and fed.

"I do like it," she said shyly. "You're very good to me, Naota."

He grinned again at that, busying himself by starting a meal for her. Soon the hut was filled with the aroma of cooking food, dried meat and vegetables combined to make a simple stew. She watched him carefully, noticing how he set the rice to simmer while he cut up the withered vegetables, scraping and dicing them so they'd cook easier.

It wasn't her fault that she didn't know these things; she had grown up in a wealthy house where servants had tended her needs. It had been assumed that she would marry well, that she'd need her education in calligraphy and embroidery, but not how to forage for herself or cook raw foods.

Inuyasha cooed and she laughed at the sound, reaching for her child. It astonished her how quickly he'd grown. A human infant would still be unable to do more than just eat and sleep, this one was already trying to roll over and make urgent noises when his little arms and legs couldn't support him. He was so alive, so vibrant, and made little sounds that she realized would one day emerge into playful growls.

"He sure is a cute little shit," Naota commented affectionately, watching her play with her baby. "Other than the ears, he probably looks just like my uncle did at that age."

She smiled, rolling the happy baby in her lap until he crowed with laughter. "He's such a good baby," she said, admiring the soft white hair. "I can't believe how fast he's growing; he's twice the size a human baby would be at this age."

Naota snorted, shaking his head. "Inuyoukai babies are like that," he said easily as he filled a bowl for her. Izayoi's mouth was watering at the smell, but she still took the meal from him with a dainty grace. She could remember her nurses saying that a lady didn't rush her meal, taking small bites of the same precise size. She wanted to tip the bowl to her mouth and swallow in big gulps, but she was afraid that Naota would see her as less than gracious.

"You said there was a village not far from here," she said, looking at him as she ate. He grinned, his long braid of dark hair falling over his shoulder when he leaned over to touch her cheek.

"They weren't particularly friendly," he told her. "I think they sensed there was something unusual about me. Twice they asked if I knew anyone in the area, and acted suspicious when I didn't. I had to tell them I was just passed through to the south."

Izayoi sighed, realizing that they probably wouldn't welcome a woman and a newborn baby, especially a half-demon baby. That helped her in making the hard decision. There was only one place for her to go. Back to her father. The same man that had sent her away for choosing a youkai as her husband.

And she knew better than to ask Naota that she and Inuyasha be taken to her husband's people. He didn't tell her anything, but there was finality about the way he moved himself, a serious darkness that had taken hold over his happy soul. It was the face of a young man who knew that he could never go home again.

Izayoi looked into Inuyasha's sleeping face and sighed. She could do it; she could swallow her pride and her grief at the same time, and ask her father for help. She was his only child now that her brother had died, this little one, half demon that he was, the only grandchild her father would know.

"I have made a decision," she said quietly, folding her hands in her lap. Naota looked up from the fire to meet her gaze. He sat back on his knees, his expression very serious and troubled.

"Your family?" he asked, knowing it was her best chance. He hated it, but he knew that she was right. Just as he knew he didn't dare stay with her much longer. She nodded quietly.

Naota sighed, the sound escaping from him like he'd just given away his last dream. It made her sorrowful, but she understood that once she'd gone back to her own people, it was unlikely she'd ever meet her husband's strange nephew again. He pushed his dark hair back from his forehead and astonished her with a happy grin.

"If little Inu takes after his father or brother, your family is in for an interesting time. But you're a strong girl, Izayoi. I know you can do it, I know you can raise him just fine."

Her heart filled with warmth at his kind words and Izayoi impulsively reached for his hand. "I will do my best," she said solemnly. "One day, when he's older, I want him to meet his brother and…"

Izayoi's voice trailed off when Naota jerked his hand away from hers. "Don't waste your time thinking about it," he said, more harshly than he meant to. "Your baby will be lucky to live if Sesshomaru comes looking for him."

She was quite frankly shocked, feeling the blood drain from her cheeks and leave them pale. "I…I know he despises humans," she whispered. "Despises me. But his own brother?"

Naota's silence was all the answer she needed. Izayoi felt her shoulders sag; realizing what kind of life was waiting for her beloved son. Rejected by both races, hated and hunted by those who saw his demon blood as a curse, dismissed as something that didn't deserve to live by those who saw his human blood as an impurity. She hated to cry, she really did, but Izayoi felt the first hot tear slip down her cheek only to be followed by another.

"Hey," he said gently, reaching around to hug her shoulders. Izayoi continued to sob silently, unwilling to be comforted. "It's not that bad," Naota said desperately. "Sessh probably won't even bother, he doesn't care if you live or die."

Her tear-streaked face tore at his heart. "Really," he said, wiping her wet cheeks. "He won't come after the baby, that's why it's best if you go to your family. Then I'll be away from you and he won't have any reason to bother."

Izayoi's expression was sad. "You really can't go home, can you, Naota? He's going to kill you if you don't keep moving."

Naota's eyes twinkled. "Sesshomaru has to catch me first," he said lightly. "And I've always been better at hiding than he is at finding. When we were kids, the daimyo used to say that…"

He trailed off and his expression grew bleak. Izayoi saw the sadness flicker across the young man's face and her heart went out to him. The Daimyo had been her husband, but she knew that to Naota, he'd been the only father he'd ever known. Briefly, she felt a stab of jealousy for that, even when she'd shared his bed, she'd never breached the walls that surrounded the man.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, wondering if she should tell him now. Inutaisho had told her to wait, make sure that she was safe and her son safe before telling anyone about what had happened between him and Takemaru. But still, she wished there was some way to ease Naota's pain.

"I can't believe he's gone," Naota said roughly, wiping at his eyes with the heel of his hand. "I always thought there was nothing that could kill him, you know. He was just too tough, too smart…" He looked up and grinned with a watery smile. "And to get taken down by a damn dragon like that, it doesn't make sense."

"It's my fault," Izayoi said, feeling her guilt keenly. She had told Inutaisho that he was a fool for answering that dragon's challenge, but she felt even worse knowing how desperate the fight had been. Ryuukossei hadn't wanted to give up his secrets, not without a bitter fight.

A hand brushed her cheek, brought her away from the sad memory. Naota's expression was tender; his fingers warm as he ran them down her cheek. "Don't blame yourself, Izayoi. That man wouldn't be talked out of anything. Stubbornness is a family trait, I'm sure you'll see it in Inuyasha soon enough."

She suddenly realized how close he was, the way his breath warmed the air between them. Naota's eyes seemed to be unfocused; he was staring at her mouth as if he'd expected to find answers lurking behind her lips. She knew her cheeks were flushed; she could feel the blood rushing to warm them. "Naota," she said, pulling away from him.

"Ever since I first met you," he whispered, his thumb rubbing lightly over her lower lip. "Since that first day, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen."

"Oh stop," she chided, twisting her face away from his seeking hand. "I know there are youkai women that make me seem dull as clay."

He shook his head slowly. "Different, but not like that," he muttered, almost to himself. "You're special; I could feel it from the beginning. My uncle must have too."

Izayoi decided that he was making her nervous and she jumped when his hand touched her leg. He was so close now, so…lost…she decided. "Naota," she said, speaking his name so he wouldn't forget it. "I'm not special; I'm just an ordinary woman."

"Not to me," he murmured. Then his hands were on her shoulders, gently pressing her back until her hips slid out from under her and she found herself looking up at the ceiling. Confusion set in, followed by a strange floating sensation as he started to touch her. Izayoi closed her eyes then, not having been touched like this in several months…not since the night Inutaisho had told her that she'd conceived his child.

Her body was trembling as he carefully parted her yukata, a plain, sturdy garment that was nothing like the silks and heavy linens she'd worn most of her life. It was functional; it was drab and boring, a harbinger of the life she was going to lead. She caught her breath, her eyes snapping open to stare at the patched ceiling again as Naota began to be a little rougher in his urgent exploration of her body.

"Izayoi," he whispered her name like a prayer and she couldn't tell if it was panic or excitement that made her heart race. The truth was that Inutaisho had only lain with her once, only once and only for the purpose of creating his son. She declared her love openly, but he'd smiled sadly all the same. Inexperienced, she'd tried everything to make him see her, knowing that all the time there was another woman whose presence would never leave his mind.

"Wait," she whispered, reaching up to bury her fingers in his dark hair. She hissed when his lips pressed against her swollen nipples and she flushed with embarrassment that he might taste her milk. Her breasts were too sore to bring her pleasure anyway. She clenched her fist in his hair and yanked his head up with all of her meager strength, meeting a pair of dark eyes that fairly burned with desire.

"Please," he whispered, begging her. "I know…I know you don't love me. I know you can't love me. But please, Izayoi…just once…will you let me?"

Her lips trembled slightly, partly because she knew that she couldn't very well stop him if he wanted to force her. And partly because the naked grief in his voice made her heart twist in her chest with sympathy. Naota had thrown away his life to save hers, save her little boy. What kind of woman would she be if she denied him now? She'd be selfish and ungrateful, unworthy of the kind of sacrifice he'd offered her.

And if Inutaisho, a youkai lord of immeasurable power, could have sympathy for her and treat her love with gentle acceptance, would she do less for his nephew that had meant as much as a son to him?

"All right," she murmured, relaxing and closing her eyes again. And she held him tightly as he rocked against her and cried out her name. She stroked his hair as he shuddered inside her; she ran her hands over his shoulders as if she wanted to memorize the texture of his skin. His mouth was rough against hers, but Izayoi didn't care, losing herself again and again as she pulled memories of other kisses and pretended that the dark eyes that gazed so lovingly at her were actually golden.

Golden like the sun.

oOo

Kagome was dozing, falling asleep where she sat with Kohaku's head pillowed on her lap. She was utterly exhausted, partly from fear, partly from being too scared to sleep. She kept trying to wake herself up to keep watch over Kohaku, but she was failing miserably. At last, she gave up and closed her eyes. It wasn't like she could do anything against Naraku anyway.

Kohaku twitched and whimpered in his sleep, bringing her out of her fitful doze. She laid her hand on the boy's head and stroked his filthy hair. The poor kid, he'd been through more than any of them at Naraku's hands. Kagome's lips set into a grim line, knowing that the torment of having been used against his will yet again might break the boy's spirit. For Sango's sake, she hoped not. She had to stay strong for them both and hope that rescue would be coming soon. Kohaku needed help; she could feel how hard he was trying to withdraw from the world.

Just as she was trying to force her body to relax, there was a loud, booming sound that made the wall behind her tremble. Frightened, Kagome sat up and pulled Kohaku closer, shaking the boy until his eyes slowly opened. There were more loud sounds, bangs and shouts, and she thought she heard a dull roar of rage.

_Inuyasha_, she thought, excited. He must have found Naraku's stronghold, he must have come to rescue them.

"Kohaku," she whispered, turning his face upwards to look into his glazed eyes. "Just hold on, they're coming for us. I can feel it."

He just looked at her; so heartbroken and hurt that he couldn't even find the strength to hope along with her. Kagome sighed, brushing his hair back and gave him a little shake as she sat him up and let him lean on her arm.

"Just hold on," she muttered, staring at the door. "They'll come for us, they always do."

The sounds of destruction were growing louder, more intense. Kagome chewed her lower lip, her fingers tightening on Kohaku's shoulder. It did sound like there was some kind of commotion, but it didn't sound like Inuyasha. She shut her eyes and listened hard, hoping she'd hear him cursing or maybe shouting the Kaze no Kizu.

Then it seemed like the floor was going to shake apart underneath them, dust and insects fell from the dilapidated ceiling and Kagome put her arms protectively around Kohaku. She wasn't sure if she was protecting the boy or just desperate to cling to another warm human body. Kohaku made no comment, his head resting on her shoulder and his breathing shallow, listless.

She flinched when the door slammed open, light pouring into the dim confines of the room where they'd been imprisoned. The shadow of the creature loomed over her like death itself and Kagome's face was pale as she stared up at him.

"Well, little priestess," the dark monster murmured, his voice a chill running down her back. "It seems like you're going to be of some use to me after all."

oOo

"My mother?" Inuyasha shouted, ready to tear Naota's head off. "You raped my mother?"

Naota reached up and took the human's wrists, pulling them easily away from his throat. "It wasn't like that," he muttered, glaring over Inuyasha's shoulder at Sesshomaru. "Your brother thinks the worst of everyone."

"Then why don't you explain it to him, Naota?" Sesshomaru's light sneer cut the cool air like a lash. "Why don't you tell him your version of the truth? I for one would be fascinated."

"Your mother was the kindest woman I've ever known," Naota said, holding Inuyasha's eyes with his own. "Yes, she was alone and scared, and yes, I did want her. But I never forced her into anything; it was…it wasn't like he says."

Over the years, he'd tried to forget about it, forget about her. He'd tried to absolve himself of the guilt he'd felt, telling himself it was mutual comfort that had driven her into his arms. He'd only stayed with her for a few brief weeks, making sure that he found a safe place for Izayoi and her baby. During that time, she'd let him make love to her, let him touch her and whisper her name in the night. But Sesshomaru was dead wrong; he'd never made it a condition of his protection.

She already knew he'd given up everything for her.

"Go on," Inuyasha rasped, his voice bitter. "Tell me about how you didn't rape my mother."

Naota flinched, knowing that Inuyasha could easily believe such a thing. After all, who was he to this hanyou, Izayoi's son by his uncle? A long lost cousin, one of the many relatives that hadn't been there for him when he was growing up, a lone hanyou among humans that feared and reviled him. Inuyasha's accusing glare said it all…if you weren't guilty, why did you abandon her?

"The truth," he said quietly, his shame evident, "is that she felt sorry for me."

Sesshomaru's laugh was dry and brief, like it had surprised him. "Pity?" he sneered. "Naota, that is most pathetic."

He didn't care what Sesshomaru thought of him, he'd long since stopped caring about what his cold cousin might say. "Yes," he said, hoping that Inuyasha at least could look past his contempt and hear the truth. "It was nothing but pity. I'd confessed my feelings for her before your father died and she'd politely rejected them. I already knew that she couldn't love me."

Naota took a deep breath and turned to glare at Sesshomaru. "I still couldn't just abandon them. Gods above, Sessh! You can hate me all you want, but I thought you knew me better than that. I'd never take advantage of a helpless woman with a newborn baby."

His cousin's gaze was ice. "I had no idea what you were capable of," he said with cool disdain. "You betrayed me, Naota, and all the people who trusted you. You plunged this country into civil war and cost thousands of lives because of your impulsive behavior. Your selfishness was boundless; I have no problem believing you to be guilty of any crime."

"Fuck," Naota muttered, turning away. "I can't make either of you believe me and I'm not going to apologize. I've had a lot to live with, but I did what I had to do."

He could remember crying, his head in her lap. He'd thrown away the only home he'd ever had, shamed the man who'd taken him in and treated him as a son. Or maybe the shame was all in Sesshomaru's eyes; to this day he couldn't think that Inutaisho would have agreed. Certainly, he'd desired Izayoi; he would have done anything to stay with her, even when he'd known that she wouldn't have loved him. But he'd also feared that by staying with her, he'd destroy any chance of her having a better life with her son.

"Would you have hunted me down?" he asked quietly. "If I'd stayed in these territories, not gotten as far away from you as possible? Would you have killed me, would you have killed them?"

Sesshomaru's eyes softened slightly, but it might have been only his wishful thinking. Then his cousin turned away, letting the wind pick up his silvery hair and make it flutter in the darkness. "Perhaps," Sesshomaru muttered. "Perhaps not."

A loud crash drew both of their attention. Inuyasha glared at them, standing near the wreckage of what had once been a large, ornate ceramic vase. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in anger.

"You are clumsy as ever, Inuyasha."

His younger brother, his human younger brother, grimaced at him. "It wasn't an accident," he said, his voice rough with anger. "I just can't stand here and listen to you two pissing about the past when Kagome and Sango are out there with that monster."

Furious, he lifted a large chunk of pottery and heaved it off the top of the tower. It fell with a resounding crash to the courtyard below and even from the distance he could hear shouts of alarm. Sesshomaru growled softly, all the fury of frustration in his eyes as he advanced on the unrepentant Inuyasha. "How dare you destroy…" he began.

Inuyasha spit at him and seized another large piece and threw it. "Fuck you," he shouted. "This is all your fault, you bastard! Haven't you figured it out yet?"

"My fault?" Sesshomaru snarled. "You miserable whelp, it is your fault for letting them be lost to Naraku."

Naota jumped for Inuyasha when he would have run at Sesshomaru, quite oblivious to the fact that his body was mortal and no match for his brother. The young hanyou shrugged him off, slapping away Naota's hand before turning to fix him with a belligerent scowl.

"You tracked that bastard," he said accusingly as if Naota had somehow been an ally of what he'd sought. "You're gonna tell me how to find him."

"I can't."

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stared at their cousin, disbelieving. For a quick moment, the brothers exchanged a glance and then Inuyasha nodded decisively and folded his arms over his chest. Sesshomaru took a step forward, green energy glittering from his fingertips and a sadistic light glittered in his icy golden eyes.

"I think you will."

oOo

The priestess was whimpering, he supposed it was due to him. Her small body was slung over his shoulder like a bag of grain, his long claws rested on the back of her bare legs. He sniffed the air, frankly enjoying the scent of her terror.

It would have been nice to play with her; he could tell that although she was young, she'd been had by a man before. That left anticipation as her greatest enemy; fear of the known could be every bit as powerful as fear of the unknown. The girl thought he was taking her away to defile her and if the gods had been kinder, he might have had the time.

But he still savored her fear, the way her skin crawled at his touch. Her entire body and spirit were rebelling at being touched by something as corrupted as himself. It amused him and he slid his hand up her leg a little more, squeezing the firm, delicious flesh just so that he could hear her whimper again and choke back a sob.

"I'm not going to touch you, child," he rumbled, knowing that she didn't believe him. "I have no use for you and no time to play."

The boy was strangely silent, had been silent but for his screams when Naraku had questioned him. He supposed that his former ally was quite busy at the moment, trying to repel an attack that had come not from his enemies, but from the very monsters he had enslaved. The darkest monster of them all grinned, stalking deep into the forest with his prize. He wondered if Naraku realized that the attack was not unprovoked.

It had been a simple thing for him, just to influence the kind of mindless horde that was attracted to Naraku's spell. They were a mass, almost shapeless with their variety, a filthy mass of lower demons and wretched half formed evil. Some might have been innocent once, just existing on the fringes of awareness, feeding and moving where they pleased. Once touched by Naraku's influence, they became angry and easily compelled, and it was a simple thing for their master to send them to do his will.

Until something stronger entered their mass, until darkness so absolute and corrupt overwhelmed the spells that Naraku had bound them with. Then, whipped into a screaming frenzy, they'd attacked their master's stronghold. In the confusion, it was simple thing for him to steal away these two creatures.

He considered their freedom to be a wedding gift.

The priestess shrieked when he suddenly dropped her to ground without warning. The boy…the boy was still quiet and curiosity again overtook him as he leaned down to examine Kohaku's pallid face. There no fear in those blank eyes, the boy was too far gone to even be afraid. He wondered whether or not it could even be lifted and smiled to himself at the thought it might not.

Her brother. Better for her to forget she had one. Soon other things would occupy the exterminator and he would make sure that she learned to forget her life among humans. She would belong to him, only to him and he knew that in good time, she would accept his will as her own.

Even now his blood hungered to return to her and the darkness that had once been a demon licked his lips.

"Why?" a small voice cut through his anticipation.

Yes, the girl. He stared down at her, those large and fearful eyes, and the way her small hands pulled the unresponsive boy to her chest. The priestess was hardly more than a child, but even in her stark revulsion, she was desperately trying to understand what had happened.

"You want to know why I have freed you?" he hissed, smiling a little at her horror, the way she could barely look at him. Bending down, he traced his finger along the side of her face just to watch her flinch away. "Go on, little girl. Ask me then."

Kagome swallowed hard. Something was wrong with this thing, this monster. She could feel his insanity radiating from his body like the stench of a charnel house, rotten and corrupted. But there was more than that, the sheer power of him overwhelmed even his madness, she'd never seen anything like it.

"What are you really?" she whispered. "Naraku didn't create you…where did you come from?"

He considered the question and then smiled down at her. "I don't know what I was in life, or who I was, but I know who I am in death. My body was dismembered and the pieces buried under a mountain. I was sealed there and my soul bound to my rotting corpse. For how long…I do not know. Long enough to forget my name, but not my nature."

Kagome licked her lips, watching as his pitch-dark eyes simmered with the pain of memory. She suddenly realized that each breath was agony to him, but that he was feeding off the viciousness of his own torment. "Did Naraku…" she murmured.

"Naraku is the one who broke the seal, resurrected my corpse into the form you see now. He does not presume to control me, but he was not expecting me to be more powerful than himself."

She sat up a little straighter, beating back the fear with her curiosity. She had to know as much about this monster as possible, his motivations, and his desires. It wasn't her that he wanted and suddenly she realized that there was a reason behind his strange actions.

"Why did you turn on Naraku?" she demanded. Kagome cast a frantic glance back at the nearly comatose Kohaku and shivered. "Where…what have you done with Sango?"

At the name, his eyes glimmered and his expression eased. "She is mine," he said, gloating now. "Her and her half-demon child. She has pledged herself to me, in exchange for your freedom."

Kagome shook her head, trying to deny his words. "I don't believe you," she hissed. "Sango would never…"

Behind her, she heard the sound of trees being crushed and a low roar. He heard it too and smiled wickedly at her. "It seems that Naraku's demons have followed us," he murmured. "They will most likely tear you to pieces in their frenzy. I doubt if he has regained control over them."

"But…" she stammered. "You said…you promised Sango…"

His smile was cold and filled with a malice that had extended from beyond his grave. "I promised your freedom, little priestess. I never promised your survival. I would suggest that if you wish to live…you had better run."

oOo

"I can't tell you because I'm not sure myself," Naota said, his voice flat and unafraid even as Sesshomaru's tone became threatening. His cousin's eyes grew narrow with suspicion, his doubts naked. Naota flushed suddenly, feeling caught between the two of them.

"I'm not lying!" he shouted, spinning around on his heel and stalking over to Inuyasha. Giving the hanyou turned human a disgusted look; he bent over and grabbed another big chunk of broken ceramic, hurling it over the side so that the satisfying sound of a crash echoed up to their ears.

Meeting his angry gaze, Inuyasha just picked up another piece of the shattered vase and hurled it as if he were competing with Naota. This time shouts and curses echoed up the ancient walls and they met each other with bitter smiles.

"Maybe we should throw your brother over the side," Naota said, not taking his eyes from Inuyasha's. "I don't know about you, but I'd like to see if the ice lord might break apart when he hit the ground."

"I don't give a damn," Inuyasha hissed, his dark eyes sparkling with fury. "He can rot inside that shell of his, but I'm going to find Kagome if I have to kill every last dog demon in this territory. I'm going to start with you, cousin."

"Enough," Sesshomaru snarled, driven beyond his composure. Angrily he reached out and grabbed Naota's shoulder, roughly shoving his cousin against the wall. "Explain," he said tersely.

At least they were both listening to him now, Naota thought wryly. He pushed Sesshomaru's hand away from him. As he studied his cousins, he found himself looking not at their faces, but instead at the matched weapons they carried. His brows knit in a frown, reaching up a hand to scratch at the back of his hair, a gesture he often made when confused or embarrassed.

"Might not be the best time to ask," he muttered, his eyes flicking up to meet Sesshomaru's, "but I've wondered. Why do you have Tenseiga? I would have thought you'd be the last person he'd let wield that sword."

"Naota," Sesshomaru said in a dangerous voice. "You're trying my patience."

"It was never one of your strengths," Naota snapped back peevishly. He turned to look at Inuyasha, finally pointing a finger. "That's Tessaiga; I recognized it when I first met you. You're human right now so you couldn't use it if you wanted to, but I had thought…"

It was like a flash went off in his mind and Naota turned, a wicked smirk on his face. "Kept his word about that, didn't he, cousin?" he sneered, watching as Sesshomaru's face darkened. "Uncle said you'd never understand either sword, not unless you were forced to think of them as more than just fangs."

"Can we just beat him until he talks?" Inuyasha asked seriously. His human form did nothing to dull his stubbornness or his resolve and he cracked his knuckles, wishing it wasn't hours away from his claws. "I can't take much more of his bullshit."

"Tell me," Naota said, ignoring Inuyasha's threat and focusing on Sesshomaru's silence. "It will be a trade; you tell me what I want to know. I'll tell you what I can."

"My wife is out there," Sesshomaru whispered, fury he couldn't resolve pounding in his veins. "In the company of a monster. And you stand there and play games with her life. I should kill you slowly, Naota. I should have killed you long ago."

"He's not a monster," Naota said, surprising them both. "He's dead, but he's been brought back from the grave."

Inuyasha looked startled, but there was no surprise in Sesshomaru's expression. "You tell me nothing of use and call that fair trade?" he asked. "I knew the beast was undead."

"How?" Naota pursued. He glanced at the slim blade his cousin was wearing and smiled humorlessly. "I'll be damned; you can use it, can't you?"

"Of course," Sesshomaru hissed.

Naota shrugged, turning away from him. "I guess Uncle wasn't a fool for letting you have the more powerful sword. I would have guessed that you'd have thrown it away when you realized it wouldn't kill anyone."

Inuyasha snorted and shook his head. "Throw it away? Not fucking likely. He says he hates the damn thing, but he's lying. It's Tessaiga he wanted, but when he figured out he can't use the thing…"

"Can't use it?" Naota looked befuddled. "Since when? I was there when your father taught him how to use Kaze no Kizu, he was able to use then."

Sesshomaru hissed, turning away to stare out into the darkness. _Sango_, his heart was crying. _I will not fail you!_

"I have no use for Tessaiga," he said coldly. "It does not concern me."

His brother laughed harshly. "It doesn't concern you because you can't have it," he sneered angrily. "Didn't stop you from trying to kill me for it!" He turned to look at Naota. "There's a ward placed on the Tessaiga," he explained, enjoying the way the words must be grinding into Sesshomaru. "It burns the shit out of him if he even touches it."

"Burns him?" Naota asked, his eyes widening. "That's…that's…" He found himself going weak from holding in laughter and leaned heavily against the wall, suddenly shouting his mirth in a loud, infectious laugh that rang across the stones of the fortress.

"Burns him! Gods, I love it! That is just like Inutaisho; put a damn ward on his own blade to keep Sessh from…I love it!"

"Damn you!" Sesshomaru's shout was loud enough to very nearly crack the stones under their feet and Naota was thrown hard against the wall. Claws dug into his throat and Naota winced when he felt the corrosive, poisonous youki start to seep into his flesh. The smell of it, sulfuric and rich, filled his nostrils and made his eyes water.

"Is this your revenge, Naota?" Sesshomaru hissed. "To stand by and let my wife die because refused to save that woman? That I banished you from these lands and let you throw away your loyalty? You understand nothing! You are as selfish and childish as you were back then!"

The smell…he knew it.

Naota coughed, sickened by the realization. He'd been fighting the knowledge from the beginning, pretending it was his superior woodscraft that let him track the undead demon. In fact, it had been something much stronger, a bond that must have endured across the years, drawing him back to the land of his birth.

He'd felt the pull. He was shocked that Sesshomaru hadn't figured it out by now. Inuyasha…he could understand how his hanyou cousin hadn't known what they were facing.

Inuyasha had never known his father.

Slowly, he reached up and wrapped his hand around Sesshomaru's wrist. "I might hate you, cousin," he said thickly. "But I'd never play games with Sango's life. In fact, I'm happy that you have finally found one living person who means so much to you. Your father…your father would be happy for you too."

"This has nothing to do with my father," Sesshomaru said in a dangerous voice. "He is long dead and…"

Naota stared at him, still not releasing Sesshomaru's wrist. "Are you sure?" he whispered. "You saw Barou's wounds; you smelled the poison that almost killed Jano. You know this enemy moves like a fucking ghost in your territory, a creature that you can't track and you can't beat. Have you asked yourself why he's stalking you?" His voice suddenly broke and Naota sagged, his hands clinging desperately to Sesshomaru's sleeves.

"Have you asked yourself," he said, his heart feeling like it had been shattered. "Sesshomaru, have you asked yourself why he'd take an interest in human woman who is carrying your baby?"

Horrified, Sesshomaru shoved his cousin so hard that Naota stumbled and fell to his knees. "He's come back, Sesshomaru. I don't know how but…"

He looked up, looked first into the younger brother's dark, human eyes and then to the older brother's golden gaze. "The Daimyo Inutaisho has returned from the grave. And I'd say he's angry with his sons."

"You won't be able to defeat him."


	46. FortySix

_**Chapter FortySix**_

"Kohaku," she whispered, pulling at his arm. "We can't stop here, we have to keep moving!"

He honestly didn't see the point.

But she wasn't going to give up or leave him and he let Kagome pull him to his feet again. Kohaku had decided that he was ready to die, but he didn't want this girl to think it was her fault. No, that wouldn't be fair. She was Sango's friend and it would hurt her to have to tell his sister about how he'd let himself die. It was shameful, but he wasn't worthy of being saved. Kagome didn't understand, couldn't understand, wouldn't ever understand…and he was far too tired to try to explain it to her.

He'd been dead from the moment he'd died the first time. Everything that had happened to him since then…had just been another mistake.

"Hey," she said, putting her warm hands on his cold face, making him look at her. "We're going to get out of this. I promise you, Kohaku. I'm not going to let them get to either of us!"

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered where she got the energy to keep fighting. It wasn't a lack of courage or fear that made him want to lie down and let the monsters come. It was just that he was ready for them; at long last he thought he might be ready. At least then Sango could grieve over a corpse and a memory, instead of mourning for a little brother that didn't exist anymore.

They kept running, Kagome dragging him when he stumbled, trying to support him when his legs seemed too weak to move. It wasn't weakness; couldn't she see that he was still drowning? The floods had come in the spring, but Kohaku had long given up on seeing the summer. He'd rather die now, yes please, than have to keep up the pretense of still being alive for another minute.

He fell heavily, making no attempt to catch himself and landed hard on his face. There was dirt in his nose, his eyes and his mouth, but he didn't care. Soon that dirt would be his grave and he welcomed the feeling. Now he could just go to sleep, let the girl escape while they feasted on his flesh. His corrupted flesh, it was all he had left. Naraku had already stolen his mind and his memories, defiled them with the pleasure of a sadist, but then released them back into him like a gift of darkness absolute.

He'd finally made him betray his sister. And he didn't even need to use the jewel to do it.

"Kohaku," she cried, beating on his back with her fists. For a long moment, he didn't know if it was Kagome or Sango that was crying his name, trying to will him back to life with her voice. He supposed it was selfish of him to make her either leave him or die. He wondered again why she bothered.

"Don't be scared," she said, coaxing him to his feet yet again. "I'm going to protect you, Kohaku. You'll see, it's going to be fine."

Was she really that stupid? Or was it an incurable disease, her optimism. From what he knew of Kagome, it could very well be both. But she was swearing to protect him…and that made him feel very guilty about dying. And Kohaku was very, very tired of feeling guilty.

_Father, why do we have to be demon exterminators?_

Like it wasn't a silly question, his father had smiled and looked at him with a twinkle in his eyes.

_To protect those people who can't protect themselves_.

He was just a boy; he didn't know how he could help anyone. And the monsters scared him, but that wasn't the worst part. The thing he was most frightened of was that his father or sister might be killed by the very youkai they fought. And that he, Kohaku, would be unable to save them.

_But why, father? Why do we do that?_

So many reasons, so many ways to die. He could lie here and just let himself be eaten, he could fight Kagome and run away into the forest, seek his death without trapping her along with him. He could just run away from everything…

_Because it is an honorable thing to protect the weak_.

_Because to live in fear is to not live at all_.

_Because we have ones we love, ones that deserve to be protected_.

_Because we do what we can and because when we turn away from what needs to be done, it makes us less than what we were born to be_.

He wouldn't shame his family by dying here and risking that he'd take Kagome with him. He owed his sister better than that. When it was time, when he had a place for peace, then he'd seek an honorable death.

"Let's go," Kohaku whispered, tugging at Kagome's arm. "We have to run."

oOo

Sango woke up thinking that a youkai must have nested in her mouth; nothing else could explain the foul taste. She rolled over, her filthy hair falling in her face and grimaced at the smell. She'd been fighting and crying, sweating with fear and exhaustion, and she smelled like it. Then she had been trapped in a disgusting dark hole of a prison, only her own stench to keep her company.

But this wasn't her prison and Sango was surprised that it had taken her so long to figure it out. "Damn," she murmured, looking around her. "Where am I now?"

She was in a broken little hut, hardly more than a few dilapidated boards that had been thrown together with a roof overhead. It had a dirt floor and no fire, but she was lying on some kind of pallet. Sango's nose wrinkled, realizing that the pallet was also none too clean.

Standing up, she went to the open doorway, not even a mat to cover it, and peered outside. All around her was thick forest, a dark sky. She craned her head, trying to get a look to see if she could tell how late it was and realized that there was no moon tonight. It could be any time from just after nightfall to just before the first lightening of dawn. She remembered being so tired that she'd sagged to her knees, only held upright by the chains that bound her wrists to the wall.

_Chains_…

She rubbed her wrists, feeling the soreness from bruises and resolutely shook her head. It didn't matter where she was or why, she was getting the hell out of here, right now. Brushing her hair back from her eyes, she stepped outside, inhaling deeply of the fresher air and sighed.

"You've rested, that's good," a dark voice said.

Sango froze, her eyes going wide and with all of her might she fought the urge to run. He'd catch her; she knew he might even be hoping for it. A struggle would be what he wanted, a struggle and her eventual defeat. Then as a demon he would be able to take what he wanted.

"Did you bring me here?" she asked harshly, not looking at him. Of course, she knew that he had, who else would have taken her from Naraku's stronghold?

He didn't answer, coming up to stand behind her before reaching out a clawed fingertip to trace her cheek. Sango shuddered and backed away, putting her shoulders against the rough plank wall and closing her eyes. "Did you forget your promise?" he hissed. "I have kept mine."

She caught her breath, looking up to stare into those mad and burning eyes. He scared her; he scared her right down to the bottom of her soul where the fear had really never gone away. He was the embodiment of every evil she'd fought and defeated, everything that was wrong, and everything that was diseased. But as even as she recoiled from his touch, her heart leapt inside her chest with hope.

"Kohaku?" she asked, breathless. "Kagome? You kept your word and freed them? Is that why we're here and not at Naraku's keep?"

He smiled, a grimace that showed far too many sharp teeth. "Yes. And now, woman, I expect your gratitude."

The monster moved close, reaching for her and Sango couldn't help herself. She cringed away, avoiding the touch of those death-white hands and saw a flash of anger cross his face. "You said that if I freed those you care for, you would be mine. I will not be toyed with."

He was on her so fast that she couldn't avoid it. The lips on hers burned with cold fire, making her body ice. Growling low in his throat, he forced her mouth to open and she tasted him. It turned her stomach as his tongue pushed past her teeth and defiled her. Sango forced herself to not fight him, to just let the rank scent of his body pass over like a fetid smoke. When he finally broke this kiss, she was too weak with nausea to stand and would have fallen if he hadn't held in a vice-like embrace.

"You taste sweet, pretty exterminator," he murmured, pressing his face to her hair and inhaling deeply.

"You taste like blood," she whispered, horrified right down to her bones. Her skin crawled at his touch, her body recoiling from his poisoned embrace.

The dark demon smirked. "You don't like it?" he asked, falsely solicitous. "No matter, I will teach you many things. Not least of how to enjoy my caresses until you beg for my kiss."

"No," she said as his hands started to pull at her clothing. Her shoulders were pressed against the rough wood behind her as he began a possessive exploration. "No, please, stop this."

A dark chuckle. "Why should I stop, you've given yourself to me, haven't you?" His hand cupped the back of her neck, tightening slowly until she winced in pain. "If you wish to break with our pact, I can always go find your brother and the priestess. Perhaps you'd be persuaded by their screams."

_Damn it_, she thought, frantic to find a way to keep him away from her. She let the resistance drain out of her body, gritting her teeth as his lips touched the skin of her throat. She had to find a way to stop this, keep him off of her, and keep him away. He was too strong to fight, too monstrous and powerful. As it was the aura of malice that radiated from him was making her weak.

In the back of her mind, she was almost subconsciously aware of her baby. The child's youki was crying, begging her to run away from this thing, protect them both; get them back to the one who loved them. She jerked convulsively as his hands took her hips in a harsh grip, only moments away from shredding her clothes and taking them both to hell.

"Wait," she gasped when she felt his hands move between her legs. Only thin fabric separated them, but it suddenly reminded her of what he'd said back at Naraku's stronghold. He wanted her, yes, but there was more to it than just her body. He wanted her child as well; maybe that was what she needed.

"I'm not going to wait," he growled when she tried to push his hands away. "You're mine, I've claimed you as my own. Do not fight this, woman. I can make you wish you hadn't."

Sango forced herself to look at him, to fight past the horror and look him in the eye. "I'm not fighting you," she murmured, catching his wrists in her hands. "I'm scared of you. You're too powerful, what about my baby?"

"The child will be mine as well," he answered, smiling with a sick amusement. "I will raise it as my own, protect it as my own flesh. Now come here and…"

"That's not what I meant," she said bluntly. He scowled and leaned into her, his very presence was enough to quell her as she was that frightened. "I meant that my baby is half-human. I'm not a demon, if you…if you force yourself on me, you could kill the child. That isn't what you want, right?"

He considered her words, his face growing darker and angrier. "I will take care not to injure you," he said quietly. "If I only wanted you for rape and death, woman, you would already feel my claws."

She grit her teeth, wanting to snarl at him, scream at him, and tear him to bits with her own fingernails. The baby's youki surged within her, urging her to flee, to fight, and to do anything she could to save them both from this. Her heart was hammering against her ribs like panic and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I'm saying that you might kill my baby even if you don't injure me," she said quietly. "The child is half-demon, can't you feel how terrified it is? I know…I know youkai can sense the energy of another. I can't do anything to calm its youki; I'm only a human woman. You know it's not an easy thing for a human to bear a youkai's child…you could easily kill us both."

He snarled, shoving her away from him hard. Damn the bitch, he wanted that baby. He wanted a son again, even a daughter. He didn't know why, something about the exterminator had attracted him, and compelled him. As he was, he knew he could not father a child of his own seed. He was nameless death; he was undead and in his cold fists burned nothing but destruction. Perhaps this was a mistake, it would be easy to rape the woman to death, her and her brat, then find a youkai child to kidnap and raise for his own.

But he wanted this one. And he wanted this woman. Her face was pleasing, her body shapely, but so were the faces and bodies of many other women, human or demon. And he'd compelled her to promise herself to him. He could feel how much she loathed his touch, the way her pretty face turned away from his. Her entire body yearned away from him, but by her will she kept still and spoke to him almost as if he were a normal being.

_Strong_, he thought. Worthy of him, her baby would be strong too. Slowly, his fury faded until he could turn around and look at her. She had promised, she would not run away from him, he could keep her at his side until the child was born. And then his enjoyment of her would know no end. Her child would be the first, his heir and his disciple. It would be worth the wait.

"Very well," he hissed, his eyes glinting. Her face was so pale; it was as if her lovely blood had drained to the soles of her feet. Tenderly, almost affectionately, he reached out and cupped her cheek.

"We will wait to consummate our agreement, " he said softly, loving the way she trembled and filled the air with the scent of her fear. "I am not patient, my love," he growled, leaning close to press his cheek to hers. "I will find other ways to enjoy your company."

oOo

The night's wind was chill against his face, but Inuyasha closed his eyes and reveled in it. His hair whipped across his cheeks, lashed across his eyes and drew tears from them. But he wasn't crying. He was far too angry at his brother to cry.

"Hey," Naota said, his voice right behind Inuyasha's ear. "You think that son of bitch knows where he's going?"

"How the fuck would I know?" Inuyasha snapped. He hated this, stuck on the back of his brother's two-headed dragon and trying desperately to keep up. He hated even more that his bastard of a cousin was riding behind him. Inuyasha growled softly and looked down at his clawless, human hands. Naota didn't deserve to be so lucky.

"You really hate me, don't you?" Naota murmured.

Shit, he didn't know what he thought anymore. Maybe Naota was telling the truth; maybe he really had loved his mother, really thrown away everything to save her and her baby. Damned if he cared right now, not with Kagome out there, in Naraku's clutches, terrified…held prisoner by…his own father.

"Not possible," he muttered, more to himself than for Naota's ears. "Not fucking possible."

"I wish it wasn't so, Inuyasha," Naota answered quietly. He turned to look over his shoulder and saw old grief in his cousin's eyes. "Believe me, for him to be turned into such a monster…I know it can't be easy for you to see your father like that."

"Fuck him," Inuyasha snarled, glowering at Naota. "I don't give a damn who he is or who the fuck he used to be. I don't care if he's my old man or not, you hear me? If he's hurt Kagome, he's gonna wish he stayed dead!"

oOo

He heard voices talking over him and wished they'd just shut the hell up and let him sleep. He was sore, damn it, sore as hell and needed his rest. They should be more respectful of a man who'd had his guts torn out.

"Aiko, I can't believe you were so shameless…right in the middle of the hallway!"

_That sounds like Makiko's voice_, Jano thought, coming fully awake at last. He almost turned over to see her, having missed her greatly, but he knew better than to make himself a target when she was in one of her moods. It sounded like her younger sister had done something to annoy her.

_Perhaps that was not such a bad thing_, he reflected. Better her than him.

"Oh sister, I couldn't help myself," Aiko said, not sounding very contrite. "I missed him, don't tell me you don't understand."

"I understand that you're going to be the talk of the fortress." He heard rustling and the sounds of angry folding and decided that Makiko was getting ready to change his bedding. Jano resolved to stay quiet and hope that they'd take it elsewhere. He really wasn't ready to be disturbed just yet.

Unless Makiko had different ideas of how to awaken him…

"Did you tell him yet, Aiko?" Makiko's voice still held disapproval, annoyance and a touch of curiosity. "The monk deserves to know the truth."

_Oh, so it was Miroku they were talking about,_ Jano thought smugly. Just as he'd thought, Makiko's younger sister had taken quite a liking to the lecherous human. Two of a kind, in his opinion, Aiko wasn't shy at all when she liked someone.

Personally, he was glad he'd never taken her up on an offer, figuring that spending a few hours with the young lady would end with him spending a few inches on one of Makiko's knives.

He was surprised to hear sadness in the girl's tone when she answered her sister's question. "I couldn't tell him, Makiko," she said, sounding quite nervous. "What if he's not happy about it?"

"Then to hell with him," Makiko said fiercely. Jano actually flinched at the wrath in her voice, the hard edge of a woman who held to her opinions without sympathy for those who might disagree. "Aiko, you must tell him immediately. To conceal it is not honorable. The houshi-sama must know that you are to bear his child. If he disapproves of it, then to hell with him and I'll throw him out of this fortress myself!"

Jano's eyes went wide with surprise. Aiko was pregnant with Miroku's baby? By all the gods, he'd not have expected that.

"Is that so, sister?" Aiko asked archly. Jano almost turned over to see this, if Aiko was going to take that kind of tone with Makiko, she'd better be prepared to back it up. The lovely woman he intended to make his wife was not above giving her sister a thrashing for being disrespectful.

So he almost fell out of his bed when he heard Makiko start to stammer nervously. "W…why I…we are not talking about me, Aiko!"

"Don't you think that Jano-san also deserves to hear the truth?"

He went utterly still. Did they know that he'd been listening? Hell, they were arguing practically over his head, it wasn't like he meant to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I will tell him when the time is right," Makiko said primly.

Aiko laughed lightly. "I'm sure you will, sister," she said merrily. He heard a shuffling sound and then a door being slid open. "I will do the same!"

He couldn't stand it. Jano rolled over on his side, ignoring the twinge in his middle. He was still sore, but it was much easier to move now. Makiko was still staring at the door, a pensive expression on her face before she turned to look at him.

"You were listening," she said, her voice very quiet.

"Yes," he answered slowly. "Not like I could help it."

Makiko gave a little toss of her head, shaking off whatever had been bothering her. "Well," she said briskly. "Don't concern yourself with my sister's comments. You need your rest, although your wound is healing well, I don't think you should…"

He caught her hands as she reached for his bandage, pulling her down to sit beside him. Jano watched her face carefully. "Something is wrong," he said, squeezing her fingers. "Ever since they brought me back, you've been treating me like a stranger. At first I thought you were angry because I was stupid enough to almost get myself killed…but that's not it."

She shifted nervously, but didn't pull her hands from his. "I was angry," she confessed quietly. "And you were very stupid."

Jano snorted, grinning slightly. "Is that what you were going to tell me when the time is right?" he teased.

Makiko flushed and yanked her hands away from his as she stood up. "You do realize that you were nearly disemboweled," she said, not looking at him. "You will be unable to eat any solid foods for several weeks, I don't want to risk your recovery."

She was infuriating. Jano growled low in his throat, reached for a bowl that had been left at his bedside and hurled it into the wall with all of his depleted strength. It shattered loudly and Makiko turned to stare at him.

"Damn it," he snarled. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"I'm speaking to you right now," she spat back angrily. "Your ears weren't injured, Jano! You heard what Aiko and I were talking about."

He glared at her. "Aiko's pregnant with Miroku's baby," he said acidly. "What the hell does that have to do with us? Are you set against your sister bearing a hanyou?"

"Of course not," she snorted. "Aiko will do as she pleases, she always has. Since we were children, she's never gave a care to what the consequences of her actions were, and I've always had to be the one to be responsible."

Now he was just confused, he couldn't see what that had to do with him. "Then what is it?" he asked, his tone much softer now. "Why does it bother you that your sister is going to have a baby?"

"It doesn't," she shouted, startling him. Makiko stalked over and pointed her finger at his nose. "I am not bothered by my sister. Aiko should tell Miroku that she's pregnant and to hell with him if he doesn't want it."

Privately, Jano thought that Miroku wouldn't see it that way. He couldn't say that he knew the human well, but he didn't think that Miroku would object to becoming a father. There had to be more to it than that.

"Damn it, woman," he said, sitting up gingerly. "I wish you'd just say whatever it is you want to say. If you're angry with me, at least let me know why!"

"I'm not angry with you," she said, refusing to look at him again. "You also do as you please, I have known that about you for years."

Groaning, he laid back and put one hand protectively over his belly. "Forget it then," he rasped, closing his eyes. "I'm too tired to fight with you, Makiko. I thought I'd made you understand how much I want to be with you, but I guess I'm just too damn dense."

"Just what I expected," she muttered. He heard her start to move around the room, picking up thing and setting them down hard. "I don't expect you to be responsible, I already know better. Just like Aiko, who never thinks about the future. It doesn't surprise me, Jano. To hell with you as well."

Angry, he dug his claws into the bedding and shredded it just to hear her exclamation. At this rate, he was going to have to wreck the room to get her to quit talking in riddles and honestly; he didn't think he had the strength for it. If he hadn't been badly injured, he swore that he would have picked her up and shook her until she made sense. She seemed to be accusing him of something.

"I'm not the one that knocked up your sister," he said coldly.

"I know that," she answered wrathfully, eyeing the shredded bed with displeasure.

"Then why are you taking it out on me?" he snarled back at her. "Even if Miroku doesn't want Aiko's brat, that's not my problem!"

"Callous bastard," she whispered, her face gone deathly pale. He was shocked to see tears standing in her eyes. "That's exactly how I thought you'd be."

"Makiko," he breathed, sitting back up with a wince. Jano stared at her, her pale cheeks and trembling lips. Then it dawned on him, he was extremely dense after all. "We're not talking about Aiko and Miroku, are we?"

She looked away from him, bringing up her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. "No, we aren't," she said heavily. "I am also with child. I understand if you want no part of it."

From her stance, he guessed that she thought he'd reject the idea of fatherhood. She was right about one thing, he was used to doing what he wanted, when he wanted, and to hell with anyone who said otherwise. But her words had the opposite effect and he felt a smile pulling at his lips.

"I see," he said quietly. "I've always thought you were difficult, Makiko. I've never thought you were this stupid."

She whirled around, glaring daggers at him and Jano almost flinched from the fire in her eyes. "Stupid," she repeated. "You think I'm stupid because I'm pregnant with your child?"

"No," he answered easily. He leaned back and folded his hands on his chest restfully. "I'm certain you were this stupid before you were pregnant. You can't blame an innocent baby because you're an idiot."

Makiko eyes widened, her mouth rounding around the expletives she wanted to hurl at her patient and lover. When she finally found herself able to speak, her voice was hardly more than a rasp. "Jano…you…you bastard!"

He snorted. "And that's what your baby will be if you don't give in and marry me," he said as if they were discussing the weather. "I've been sure about you for years, Makiko. Not my fault if you're too wrapped up in your own foolishness to see it. I'd gladly have a hundred children with you."

He yawned and stretched, glad they'd finally settled things. Jano admitted this little discussion had taken most of his strength. So she'd been an idiot, not guessing at how much she meant to him. Maybe he was an idiot too, for not pushing harder in the past. Stubborn woman, of course she was in love with him, but getting her to admit it was more difficult than getting the Daimyo's two sons to realize they needed each other.

"What makes you think I'd marry you?" Makiko asked, recovering somewhat. "As if I'd want to have a hundred of your children!"

"Okay, fifty then. I'm willing to compromise. As long as you understand that I'm never giving up." He opened his eyes and gave her a very serious look. "You're lucky I'm lying here in bits and pieces, woman, or I'd show you exactly what I mean."

Jano felt a surge of pain from his damaged insides as she dropped beside him, wrapping her arms around his neck and dragging him into a painful embrace. "All right," she whispered, her face buried in his shoulder. "If you want me…if you want this child so much…" she said brokenly.

He put his arm around her shoulders and held her tight. "Just not right now," he whispered tenderly. "Give me a chance to heal first, then I promise I'll do my damnedest to give you all the children you want."

Makiko pulled her face up to his, grinning faintly. "Will you ever change?"

Jano kissed the tip of her nose, feeling unconsciousness sliding up on him. "Gods, I hope not," he muttered. "I'd hate to ruin my reputation."

oOo

The air smelled foul, a lingering miasma over the wrecked remains of a stronghold. Sesshomaru was absolutely furious, every nerve in his body ached to shed blood and demand vengeance, and once again he found himself denied. Someone had gotten to Naraku before them, and now they were left with nothing but the charred remains of lower youkai.

_Like bones left for a dog_, he thought bitterly.

"Damn it all!"

His gaze slid to his younger brother, who was angrily tearing through the wreckage with single-minded intent. Sesshomaru's lip curled with contempt as he watched the hanyou search frantically in the rubble for any sign of their mates.

They'd arrived just at dawn, Inuyasha scarcely noticing as his form shifted from human to hanyou in the blink of an eye. Yes, he'd known for years what times his brother was likely to be only human and vulnerable. He could have predicted that it would follow the cycle of the moon, not unnatural for those born with inuyoukai blood. Still, he'd never sought Inuyasha's life when he was at his most vulnerable. It would have been as useless as his sibling's frantic search.

Finally, he grew annoyed with Inuyasha's cursing and shouting. "Enough, fool," he snapped. "They aren't here, use your nose!"

The hanyou looked up, his face streaked with sweat and filth. "They'd better not be here," he shot back angrily. "If they are, that means they're dead and I refuse to believe it."

"Then why do you continue to search?" Sesshomaru asked coldly.

He was mildly surprised to see his brother's shoulders sag with momentary defeat. "I can't stand doing nothing," Inuyasha muttered, looking away from him.

Sesshomaru watched him for a moment longer before turning away. "We are not doing nothing, Inuyasha," he said quietly. "We will continue to search."

"Looks like this Naraku has a lot of enemies," Naota commented, using his foot to turn over a misshapen skull. "Gods, what a mess. Who would have attacked him like this?"

"Anyone who knows him," Inuyasha said in a voice full of bitterness. "The bastard has a lot of enemies, but I swear I'll be the one to kill him."

"Only if you get there before me, little brother."

Inuyasha shrugged and didn't bother to respond. He couldn't think of anything but Kagome, even killing Naraku meant nothing while she was missing. Glancing sideways at his brother, he guessed he wasn't alone in that sentiment.

He wasn't. Striding quickly over the rubble as if it was unworthy of his footsteps, Sesshomaru seized Naota by the throat. "Cousin," he said in a chill voice that held no mercy. "I believe you said that you could track Naraku's monster."

Unperturbed by his cousin's hand wrapped around his neck, Naota stared back at him. "I think you should stop calling him Naraku's monster," he said quietly. "Can't you feel it in the air, Sesshomaru? That's your father's youki that's hanging over this place like the stench of death."

Leaning close to Naota's face, he bared sharp fangs. "That thing is not my father," he hissed. "You are mistaken."

Inuyasha watched as the two cousins glowered at each other. Angrily, he kicked at a pile of bones and stared at the sky. Something was here; he could feel it licking at the back of his mind. Under the foul smell of Naraku, it was definitely there. It felt almost familiar and he scowled again that time they were wasting. His father or not, it didn't matter. If he'd put a hand on Kagome…

"Then explain it to me," Naota said at last. He twisted away from Sesshomaru, ignoring the scratches his cousin had left on his skin. Thoughtfully, he reached up and touched the blood that trickled down his throat, part human, and part demon sealed by the same monster they hunted, he thought. Grimly, he held out his hand as an offering and matched Sesshomaru's fierce smile.

"You always held it over me," he commented, "about how I wasn't pure youkai, how my senses could never be as sharp as yours. Maybe it's your own denial masking your abilities, cousin. Can't you feel it, can't you taste it? This Naraku was betrayed by him, what else could have brought down such destruction but one who shares our bloodline?"

Sesshomaru batted his hand away. He spun around, pulling Tenseiga from its sheath and bringing the tip of the blade under Naota's nose. "This says otherwise," he said coldly. "You are a fool, Naota. Do you think that I would be mistaken when I hold this blade? I have been to my father's grave, I have stood within his bones."

"So have I," Inuyasha said bitterly. He hated to side with Sesshomaru on anything, but Tenseiga wouldn't lie, not anymore than Tessaiga would. He put his hand on the sword's hilt and approached his cousin. "There's no way that Naraku could have brought him back from the dead. Not even if he had the Shikon no Tama."

"You're both lying to yourselves," Naota hissed softly. "No one else had that kind of power as him, you've both seen the wounds that Jano and Barou endured, smelled that toxin. It's your own scent, Sesshomaru. Don't deny that you recognized it!"

"I do not," Sesshomaru answered coldly. "But I refuse to believe that my father has been resurrected, I refuse to believe that even Naraku, that pitiful abomination that is not even a true youkai, nor even half of one, could have that kind of power."

Inuyasha nodded grudgingly, catching his brother's angry gaze. "The son of a bitch can make incarnations of himself," he muttered, staring at the ground angrily. "They're powerful, but not like this. Looks like it turned on him, but damn it, that's not important. I don't give a fuck how he made this thing, I just want to find Kagome before it's too late. I won't let anyone get in my way."

"Nor shall I." Sesshomaru thrust Tenseiga violently back into its sheath. He met Inuyasha gaze and then turned back to Naota. "I will not let my wife fall to that monster, be it a creation of Naraku's or my own father, I will send it back to whatever hell that spawned it."

"And if it is Inutaisho?" Naota said viciously. "And if he is holding your woman prisoner for his own reasons or Naraku's? Are you going to deny that you're not in the least bit afraid? You were always excellent at lying to yourself, Sessh."

"I fear nothing," Sesshomaru answered softly. "If by the remotest chance that you are correct, Naota, I will not hesitate one moment. My father would never agree to becoming a beast that slaughters for pure pleasure, he would thank me for sending him back to his grave!"

"You're right about that, boy!"

A shadow passed over them, accompanied by a distinctly bovine sound. Inuyasha managed to dodge out of the way as a huge three-eyed ox suddenly descended in their midst. Sesshomaru's face remained utterly impassive as he regarded the elderly fire-youkai that was known as much for his absent-minded babbling as his astonishing skill in crafting swords.

But only for those patrons that he personally liked.

"Toutousai," he murmured, his golden eyes narrowing in distaste. Just what they needed…another fool to distract them from their urgent search.

The old man tottered off the back of his ox, scratching himself with a complete disregard for his companions' sensibilities. Sesshomaru's lip curled with contempt and no small touch of active hatred. Foul smelling old fool, he was not going to be spoken to with such disrespect. He was certainly not going to let the senile bastard call him boy.

Absently, the old man looked around. "Eh?" he said uncertainly. "What are you young'uns doing here?"

Inuyasha snorted impatiently. "You were looking for me?" he asked.

Toutousai fixed his bleary gaze on the hanyou before scratching at his hairy ears. "Oh, it's you. Inuyasha, right?"

Gritting his teeth with frustration, Inuyasha leaned closer to the doddering youkai. "You know who I am!"

"Oh right, right…" Toutousai said, waving him away. "You're still after that Naraku fella, huh? Always giving you the slip, looks like you missed him again."

Inuyasha growled, but Toutousai had already moved on, peering at his cousin with some interest. "Well," he said happily, "if it isn't little Naota! Been a long time since you've been seen in these parts, kid."

"Not long enough," Sesshomaru muttered darkly.

The smith turned and gave him a piercing look that suddenly made him appear anything but senile. "Still holding on to that grudge, Sesshomaru-sama? Tsk…what would your father say?"

"Exactly," Sesshomaru said, cold anger heavy in his voice. "I will be sure to ask him that when I see him next."

Toutousai's gaze sharpened again and a flicker of humor crossed his face. "Well, I should be going…" he said, trailing off as he headed for his ox. "Just wanted to drop in and say hello…oh, you two wouldn't happen to be looking for a couple of young human females, would you?"

Inuyasha surged forward, barely catching Toutousai's arm before Sesshomaru could seize him. "What do you know about that?" he demanded angrily. "Have you seen Kagome, Toutousai? Was she all right, did he hurt her?"

Snarling, Sesshomaru shoved Inuyasha to the side. "I demand answers, old man," he hissed, his eyes glinting dangerously. "If you dare to lie to me about this, I will feed you your own heart!"

Toutousai blinked at him. "Why would I want to eat something like that?" he cackled. "Nice of you offer, but I'm not hungry."

"Senile bastard," Sesshomaru snarled, his claws flashing forward.

"Sessh, don't," Naota shouted, running to catch his cousin's arm. Sesshomaru whirled around and hit his cousin hard. Naota staggered backwards from the blow, blood streaming from his nose.

"Do not interfere," Sesshomaru growled, "if this old fool has information to where my wife is, I will personally tear him apart to get sense from him!"

"You lose something, Sesshomaru-sama?" Toutousai asked, hardly intimidated by the threat. "A human woman, eh? Now that is interesting."

"Don't you dare to mock me," Sesshomaru whispered.

Inuyasha slowly pulled Tessaiga from its sheath and turned to face his furious brother. "You ain't torturing anyone today," he said, his voice cold and angry. "If Toutousai has seen Kagome and Sango, he's not going to keep it from us. Just back the fuck off!"

"Little brother, you are testing my patience," Sesshomaru said, murder in his tone.

"Knock it off, you stupid bastards!" Naota wiped the blood from his face and gently touched the ancient smith's arm. "Please, Toutousai-sama," he said quietly. "They are in very grave danger, now is no time to play games. My uncle…always trusted you."

"That he did," Toutousai said smugly, oblivious to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's fury. "He always told me his secrets, I was one of the few!"

"Because you probably forgot them the minute he told you," Inuyasha muttered darkly. Maybe Sesshomaru wasn't entirely wrong, a good, sound beating might make Toutousai's memory fall back into place a little faster. He cracked his knuckles in frustration. It was sounding better all the time.

Naota cleared his throat, his cousins were too far on edge already, and he had a feeling that Toutousai was gambling on it. "My uncle trusted you," he said quietly, catching the old man's attention again. "He would want you to help him now."

Toutousai waved his hand dismissively. "Don't bother trying to grease my bottom with your kind words, boy. I saw the thing that took them girls and that boy too. Came looking for these two fools as soon as I did." The fire-youkai's face grew dark and somber. "What took them away…no living creature should have to endure. Your uncle knew better than most what kind of monster you're facing."

Sesshomaru's head came up, fixing the old smith with a brilliant gaze. "What did you say?"

"I said, your father knew…"

"I heard you," Sesshomaru snapped, he slowly advanced on Naota and Toutousai. "How would my father know?"

"Heh, was him that put the bastard down the first time!" Toutousai glanced back and forth between the brothers, his eyes disturbingly out of focus again. "Eh, you didn't know?"

Naota let out his breath in a slow hiss of disappointment. This was going to be difficult, the old man was confused. "I'm sorry, Toutousai-sama," he said quietly. "I know my uncle was your friend, you wouldn't want to see him like this."

"Like what?" Toutousai replied, scratching again. He dug a finger in his ear for a long moment before pulling it out and examining the tip lovingly. "He wouldn't want me to see what?"

"He wouldn't want you to see the monster he's become," Naota said gently.

"Who?"

"Inutaisho-sama."

Toutousai's eyes nearly bugged out of his head in excitement. "Where? I've been wanting to talk to that boy," he said quickly. "He still owes me for fixing up Tessaiga so the older son couldn't use it."

Sesshomaru growled, surging forward but controlled himself when Naota made an urgent gesture for patience. The dispute over the sword could wait; he had more important matters to consider.

"Inutaisho-sama has been resurrected from the dead," Naota said quickly. There was only so much his cousins could endure before they started ripping into the old man for answers. "I fear he is the same beast that abducted Sango and Kagome."

Toutousai stared at him for a long moment, seeming to turn the awful knowledge over in his mind while the two brothers seethed with impatience. Then he leaned close to Naota, his breath rank from years of neglected dental hygiene, and spoke a single word.

"Horseshit."

Naota's mouth dropped open and then he shot a furious glare at his cousins. "I know you don't want to believe it, but…"

"I said, horseshit," Toutousai said calmly. "Your uncle always gave you credit for having some brains, Naota. Why ain't you using them? That thing can't be Inutaisho-sama, he'd be mad as hell that you thought so."

His face flushed and Naota's hands tightened into fists. It seemed that Sesshomaru might have been correct after all, there was no way to get sense out of the senile old fart without causing him physical damage. Still, he hated to see it come to that.

"He's been brought back from the dead, Toutousai, I know it's terrible but…"

The old man bent over, convulsing with wheezing laughter. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stood silently, watching as the elderly smith doubled over with mirth. "Oh gods, I forgot about your jokes, Naota!" he said, wiping tears from his eyes. "That's too funny."

"There's nothing funny about it!" Naota shouted. "He's been resurrected and made insane from it, he's slaughtering humans, killing anything that crosses him! He's a monster, a twisted beast, how can you laugh about it?"

Toutousai straightened, shaking his head and chuckling as he ambled back to his waiting ox. "Boy, you have a strange humor, but you still ain't using your head. That thing may have been brought back from death, but it is not Inutaisho."

Sesshomaru glanced at Inuyasha, who shrugged in confusion. Quietly, the elder brother stepped forward, catching the old man's attention with a raised hand. "How can you be so certain that it is not my father who has been raised from his grave?"

The ancient sword smith gave them all a wicked grin. "Use your head, boy," he said with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "It can't be your father because…" He paused for emphasis.

"Your father is still alive."


	47. FortySeven

_**Chapter FortySeven**_

Shivering, Sango stepped into the steaming water and wondered what it would be like to drown herself. Of course, it was only a passing thought; she had no intention of giving up so soon. But still, death might be a better option when the time came and she couldn't keep that thing away from her any longer.

_Sesshomaru_, she thought to herself, sinking down into the warmth. The undead youkai's smell clung to her, sickened her, and the only thing that could comfort her now was the thought of her husband. He was looking for her; she knew it from the pit of her womb to the soles of her feet. She knew it down to the marrow of her bones where there could be no doubt at all. Possessive, arrogant, sometimes cruel, her husband wouldn't give up on her.

So she'd damned well better not give up on him.

She sighed, leaning back gingerly and tried to will her body to relax. The past few days had been one horror after another, but he'd kept his word and not forced himself upon her. Grimly, she looked up at the clear sky and stifled the tears that wanted to spill from beneath her eyelids. She missed him; she missed Sesshomaru so badly that it hurt. She was terrified for Kohaku and Kagome as well, since her captor had left her with no illusions about their safety.

He had freed them, but he would not protect them and had seemed amused at the idea they wouldn't survive on their own for long. That left her with a burning anger in her belly. The bastard didn't know Kagome, didn't know Kohaku, together between the two of them, they had to have a chance.

Inuyasha would be looking for Kagome, sure as Sesshomaru would be searching for her. She had nothing but faith in the hanyou's tenacity, he wouldn't let go easily and there was no way in hell he wouldn't find Kagome. Sango closed her eyes and let her head slip under the surface of the water. Not to drown, but to think as clearly as she could while she had the time.

Kagome would not let Kohaku be killed, she was sure of it. Inuyasha would not stop searching for them until he found them alive. Her hands clenched into fists, opening her eyes and looking through the clear water as if she could will it to carry her away to safety. Damn him, damn him why did he want her?

She sat up, gasping a bit as the cool air hit her face and wiped her gritty hair out of her eyes. Right now she was longing for some of Kagome's shampoo as well, anything to get that foul smell out of her hair and off her body…

"Were you trying to kill yourself?" a cool voice asked. "That breaks our bargain, woman."

Sango choked, turning around in the water to face him. He crouched on the far side of the stream, arms crossed over his knees like he'd been waiting to see if she still lived. It suddenly occurred to her that he would have let her do it and she shivered at the thought. Maybe he wasn't as concerned for her life or her baby's as she'd thought.

That did change everything.

"I wasn't trying to drown myself," she murmured, caught up again in the blackness of his gaze. "I was just thinking."

"About escape?" he hissed softly. "Don't be foolish. If you kill yourself, I will hunt down that brother of yours and have him take your place. As well as that young priestess, do you think that they would be able to satisfy my anger?"

"No," she whispered, crouching low in the water. No, she was far from suicide. Let him think he'd won, let him think that his threats held power over her. As long as it bought them time, bought Sesshomaru time to find her, she didn't mind letting him think that she was terrified.

It was true. She was already quite terrified.

He smiled at her, a gentler expression than usual, seeming pleased with her submission. Sango's eyes sparkled with anger, but she knew she didn't have to bother to hide her revulsion. When she had been too exhausted to follow, he'd thrown her over his shoulder and carried her. When she'd passed out from fear or simple human weakness, she'd awoken in his arms.

He didn't need to rest; he had nothing better to do with his time than just look at her. It made her more nervous, knowing that even when she slipped into unconsciousness, he'd be there to invade her dreams.

"Go away," she said in a tiny voice. He tilted his head to the side and looked at her expressionlessly. "You said I could bathe, remember?"

Silently, he reached behind him and drew forth a bundle. Sango looked at it with some apprehension as he slowly untied it and started to place items on the bank. Her brow furrowed in confusion and without thinking, she leaned forward to reach for them.

Clothes? Her hand curled around a small container and she dipped her fingers inside. Soap? A comb? Where did he…

Horrified, she pulled her hand back as though she'd been burned. "No," she whispered, sinking to her knees. "Please…you didn't go into a village, did you?"

His smile was positively vile, lighting his face with sullen enjoyment. "And if I did?" he asked, his tone gentle. "Would that disturb you, my love?"

"Of course!" she screamed, hating him with a sudden ferocity that shocked her. She wanted to leap from the water and tear him to pieces with her bare hands, she wanted to sink her teeth into his undead flesh and tear out the black center of what was not a heart.

"Go ahead and kill me!" she shrieked, snatching up the soap and hurling it into his ravaged face. He didn't move when it cracked against his forehead, falling to the ground and rolling to the side. "I can't take it anymore, I won't do it! I'm not going to sit by and let you murder people!"

He sat quietly, watching as her skin was flushed from the heat of the water and her anger combined. To face him without fear, to stand against him…she was simply magnificent. He could definitely grow to love her, he decided fondly, and it was only a matter of time until she felt the same.

"I murdered no one," he said quietly, not caring if she believed his words or not. Slowly, he reached for the soap container and gave it a wary sniff. Harsh, but with purpose, one day she'd have finer things. He was already having visions of how he'd dress his Sango in rich silk, fine jewels. The plunder of a thousand kingdoms would be hers for the taking.

And she would be his.

Sango realized she was trembling, exposed and naked before him. She folded her arms over her breasts, as if to hide them like he didn't already know her body. Her skin crawled with the touch of his eyes. She saw his hand twitch like he wanted to do more than just look and knelt until the water came up over her shoulders. Her sudden fury had faded and left her feeling like ice and shame covered with human skin.

"I do not lie," he said, moving closer to the water and pinning her like a fish in a trap with just the power of his gaze. "For you, lovely Sango, I killed no one for these things. I ran them away from the village and they were not foolish enough to try to stop me. Can you accept my gifts now?"

She wasn't going to easily believe him, he knew, but he saw the hopeful glitter in her eyes. Very well, this was exactly what he wanted from her. "As long as you are obedient, no one has to die. Not your brother, not a single human. I put them in your hands, woman."

He stood slowly and started to remove his tattered clothing. Some of it was so stiff with rotted blood it crumbled in his hands, but he didn't stop, didn't take his eyes from her as he cast off the disgusting garments. He had been a mindless beast; of course she wouldn't want him touching her like this. It was time for him to resume the appearance of power and he wouldn't do that looking like a mad, bloodstained beggar.

Sango flinched away from the sight of him, trying not to look. Dead white flesh, scarred in so many places she couldn't count. It seemed as if he'd been dismembered at some point, each joint of his body bore a terrible scar. Without meaning to, she suddenly felt pity at any creature that might have endured such a death. She wondered if he'd been alive when they'd started hacking him apart.

"Dead," he said, his tone quiet and conversational, like it was nothing. "I am certain I was dead before I was dismembered."

She kept to the far side of the spring; it wasn't wide enough for her at the moment. Hungrily, she eyed the bundle of clothing and wondered if he'd let her get away from him so that she could dress. One glance into those burning eyes and she knew better than to ask.

"Attend me."

Sango stopped breathing for a moment, she was certain that her heart stopped as well. Revulsion filled her throat at the thought of touching him, bathing him and her whole body cringed. Both of her hands went to her belly, unconsciously protecting her baby from the very idea of touching this monster. Her breath seemed short; she couldn't get enough air into her lungs.

_Sesshomaru_, she thought, feeling the tears coming near again. _I can't do this, I'm so sorry. I'm not strong enough; I will never be strong enough_…

Then it happened, so sudden and absolute it left her breathless. She felt warmth inside her cold body, shining golden warmth, like new sunshine. Sango's lips trembled, realizing that deep inside her body, her baby…Sesshomaru's baby…was reaching out to comfort her. Her…its helpless, anguished mother…but it was still Sesshomaru's child and that power and love reached out to her as if the daiyoukai had been standing behind her, wrapping a loving arm around her waist.

She could endure this; she could do anything if he was with her.

Resolutely, she pushed her wet hair back over shoulders and went to the dark youkai who smelled of blood and terror.

oOo

Kagome stumbled; she was exhausted and didn't know how much longer she could keep going. Forever, it seemed she'd have to. Stopping meant death and it meant losing everything she'd worked so hard for. Somehow, she and Kohaku had made it through the first night, crouching like terrified animals on the forest floor, running for their lives when need be.

It might have been easier to stay as Naraku's prisoners. She set her jaw, her fingers tightening on Kohaku's as he pulled her to her feet. No, it wouldn't have been any easier. They just needed to keep moving, stay alive, so that Inuyasha would find them. She couldn't imagine what he'd do if all he could find was her ravaged corpse.

She couldn't let Naraku win so easily!

"Let's go," she muttered, keeping her hand in Kohaku's. "It's the only way to stay alive."

The young exterminator took a step forward, and then froze. His entire body tensed, his eyes gleaming strangely as he stared into the shadows of the forest. The sun was barely in the sky, the shadows gathered like foul doom around the bases of the trees. Suddenly everything seemed foreboding and Kagome's heart gave sick thump when she felt Kohaku start to tremble with fear.

"We're too late," he whispered. "They've found us."

Afraid to look up, she forced herself to do so. The brightening sky was suddenly blocked out as a mass of seething monsters appeared over them. She swallowed hard as the aura of them hit her, feeling their rage, their joy, their hunger for the soft, defenseless flesh of their prey.

"Stay back," Kohaku whispered, moving to stand in front of her. "When they attack, you just run. I'm an exterminator, I can try to fight…"

"With what?" Kagome answered, a shrill note of panic seeping into her voice. "Your bare hands? You don't have a weapon, Kohaku!"

She wished hard for her bow, anything, a rock to throw at them. As they gathered, darkening the sky with their malice as much as their numbers, she thought wildly of all the times that she'd come close to death. Always Inuyasha had been there, or Miroku, or Sango…or herself. She'd saved herself many times, but she'd always had at least an arrow to fight with.

"Oh no," she whispered, pressing her back against a tree. Kohaku stood in front of her, his slim shoulders straight and square, a look of defiant anger in his thin face. The boy was determined to meet his face, but meet it on his feet, neither flinching away nor crouching in fear. Strangely, she felt as proud as if he were her own younger brother, as if she were his sister and standing in Sango's place.

If Kohaku would be brave, so would she. They might not be able to fight, but they could stand beside each other until the last moment. And neither of them would die alone.

The youkai surged, gathering with an angry shriek and fell upon them. She could feel the heat of their combined bodies, the rank stench of them heavy in her nostrils. For all her thoughts of bravery, she couldn't stand to watch and closed her eyes, holding Kohaku tight against her and waiting for the moment when…

A furious sound cut the air, a horrifying shriek of anger. Kagome gasped and grabbed Kohaku, dragging them both to the ground and sending them tumbling down a low hill. With the boy grasped in her arms, Kagome stared at what was happening right over their heads. A monster…

A form of black and silver swept over them with flaming hooves, it's body massive enough to blot out everything else. She could barely keep her eyes on it as it cried out a challenge to the swarming youkai before flashing forward. Power rolled off the beast, sleek muscles under a jet-black hide. She caught a glimpse of glowing silver eyes as it passed over them and fangs longer than her hand.

_Is that a…horse?_

As in answer to her question, it neighed loudly, making the forest tremble with its cry. The sharp hooves flashed as the swarm attacked and disgusting blood rained down over them. Kagome ducked her head, pushing Kohaku into the dirt.

"Stay still," she whispered. "Maybe it won't see us."

Sounds of carnage echoed in the forest, Kagome couldn't watch, keeping her eyes tightly closed. _Just go away_, she thought desperately. _Just finish killing them and go away_…

A hot wind blew across her back, almost singeing her. She raised her head and found herself staring into a pair of glowing eyes like molten silver. Kagome had a wild moment to consider how beautiful he was, an illusion that was spoiled for her when the demon bared long, tusk-like fangs that were stained dark with blood.

"Don't look," she whispered to Kohaku, sure that they were about to be devoured.

"Nashi-chan, are you finished playing yet?" a woman's voice called out.

Kagome stared as the massive horse whinnied and practically pranced where he stood. The forest was very still, all she could hear was her own rasping breaths as a figure appeared beside the beast and laid one slim hand on his neck.

"Oh, humans," the woman said, sounding disappointed as she looked at them crouching in the dirt. "Don't eat them, Nashi-chan. You won't like the taste."

The horse pawed the ground with extremely sharp looking hooves, his fetid breath wafting down over them. Kagome sat up and brushed the dirt out of her hair, wondering. The woman was tiny, almost delicate and when she turned to the side to whisper in the beast's ear, Kagome saw that she was also very pregnant.

"Excuse me," Kagome called out, thinking it best to be polite. "Thank you for saving us."

The youkai gazed down at her with bright black eyes, her hair like a dark cloud around her face. "I didn't save you, human," she said, a wry twist to her lips. "Nashi-chan was just showing off." Her eyes narrowed slightly, looking them over.

"Come up out of there," she ordered as if she expected instant obedience.

Kagome stood up and hissed suddenly, a shooting pain in her left ankle. She must have twisted it when they'd fallen, but she had been too frightened to feel the pain until now.

"Kagome?" Kohaku murmured, reaching for her arm. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my ankle," she winced, grateful as the boy let her lean on him.

"Now, humans."

They climbed up with Kohaku supporting her and stood nervously in front of the woman. Kagome was trying not to stare at the pregnant youkai, but her exotic appearance made it difficult to look away. Her skin was dusky, long hair hanging loose over her shoulders and nearly brushing the ground. Her small face was delicate and sharp featured, and her pointed ears were pierced with many small rings that jingled softly as she turned her head.

In fact, the longer Kagome looked at the woman, the less sure she became of her. It was as if something was pushing at her, coaxing her into looking past the obvious…

"You're only children," the youkai murmured, glancing back over her shoulder as if she expected someone to be watching. "What are you doing here, alone and unprotected?"

"Trying to stay alive," Kagome said wearily.

The woman nodded slowly, preoccupied. Then she glanced up, catching Kagome's eyes with her own brilliant gaze. "I suppose I will allow you to accompany me," she said, as if they'd begged for her favor. "If I leave you here, you will still be in danger. That was not the first host of monsters I've seen in this forest."

"Can I ask your name, please?" Kagome said as the woman turned to go back the way she'd come. The horse followed her as docilely as a great puppy, whiffing interestedly at leaves and brush even as his footfalls nearly shook the ground.

"My name?" The woman seemed mysteriously amused by the simple question. "For now, human child, you may call me Shi."

oOo

The old man's eyes were bulging even more than they did naturally and his face was an unsettling shade of blue. Inuyasha glanced to his side and took in his brother's stoic expression before dragging his eyes back to Naota. It seemed as if his easygoing cousin was about to strangle Toutousai until the old youkai's head exploded.

And he couldn't let that happen, not while they still had questions. "Naota," Inuyasha ground out, his claws twitching. "Don't kill him, we still gotta find out…"

"What the hell are you trying to say?" Naota shouted, his hands tightening even more around Toutousai's throat. "You're telling me that my uncle faked his own death and left his land to civil war deliberately?"

Toutousai gurgled something incomprehensible, but it seemed to enrage Naota even more. He shook the old man hard, dragging the ancient sword smith around the small clearing. "He wouldn't do that, not the Inutaisho I remember! He wouldn't pretend to be dead, he wouldn't abandon his family, not his own infant son!"

"Unless his own reasons were more important to him," Sesshomaru said icily. Naota glared at him, but Sesshomaru met his fury with cold indifference. "I, for one, would like to know what reasons they were."

Stepping forward, Sesshomaru reached out to rest his fingertips on Naota's arm. "Not yet, cousin," he said, an unpleasant look in his cool eyes. "I have no difficulty in believing that my father's dear friend would lie to us, but if you kill him now it would serve no purpose."

Naota relaxed and let the old man drop from his grasp. "So you don't believe him either?"

"I believe that he's not telling us the entirety of the truth." Sesshomaru's fangs glittered as he smiled ever so slightly. "I am more concerned with what he might know about my wife's disappearance."

Toutousai coughed and spat, rubbing his neck. "Your father is alive, Sesshomaru," the elderly youkai said, his voice suddenly tired and weak. "At least he was when I saw him last…some forty years ago."

Inuyasha growled low in his throat. "And you never thought it was important enough to tell me?" he asked sarcastically.

"Eh?" The old man grinned up at him. "You again?"

Disgusted, Inuyasha turned away. "Senile bastard."

"Old man," Sesshomaru said, his fingertips starting to glow. "I will not ask you again."

Chuckling, Toutousai got to his feet. "I knew you wouldn't kill me, little Naota," he said wickedly as he shuffled back to his ox. "Ain't got it in ya!"

Glowering to the point that he strongly resembled his hanyou cousin, Naota snorted. "Want to bet on that?"

Toutousai shot him a piercing look, suddenly no longer old or tired. "If so, you're not the man your uncle wanted you to be," the elderly smith said with contempt. His eyes slid to Sesshomaru. "And you wouldn't be his first disappointment in that respect!"

Sesshomaru stiffened, his eyes flashing crimson within gold. "You miserable…"

Pointing one gnarled finger at the furious youkai, Toutousai seemed to have no fear of his wrath. "You know better than most, boy, what your father hated in himself. You know how long he fought that darkness, fearful of passing it on to you! When it overcame him…"

Toutousai paused and Inuyasha was startled to see what he thought might be tears in the old man's eyes. "When it overcame him," the old man continued, "when he knew he was losing his will to fight, that's when he left you. So that you wouldn't be standing in his place, faced with killing your own father to prevent him from becoming the same kind of monster that took away your woman."

"Took my…" Sesshomaru breathed softly. It wasn't possible. Of all the horrors that Naraku could have raised from death…this one…

"Who?" Inuyasha demanded, fed up with the way everyone was talking around him. Hell, he didn't know his father, he didn't give a damn either. "Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on? Who took Sango and Kagome?"

Naota's hand clamped down on his shoulder, forcing the hanyou to turn and look at him. The human who was no human, not with that blood in his veins, looked sickened…and scared when he finally whispered the answer.

"Our grandfather."

oOo

"Ah, I thought I'd find her here!"

Jano snorted and moved a fluffy tail out of his eyes. "It's not my fault if the damn cat likes to sleep on my head," he grumbled. Kirara purred softly and dug her claws into his scalp when he tried to remove her. "Damn it!"

Miroku chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Once Kirara decides that she likes someone, she lets her affections be known," the monk said mildly. "You look much improved, Jano-san."

"I should be," the inuyoukai muttered. "Makiko has threatened to re-disembowel me if I try to get out of bed."

"Perhaps I should let her know that there's a rival for your attentions," Miroku answered with a smile. He reached out to scratch one of Kirara's ears and smiled down at the wounded demon. "Ladies can be very jealous."

Jano sighed and finally managed to pull the protesting kitten from his hair. He glanced up at the smiling monk as he managed to persuade the small cat that his lap would be just as comfortable as the top of his head. "So, have you come to rescue me from boredom, houshi-sama? I can't take much more of being coddled like this."

Raising an eyebrow, Miroku knelt next to Jano's futon. "You were almost killed," he answered. "Don't you think that you should take it easy?"

It had been a full day and night since they'd brought Jano, poisoned and nearly dead, to the fortress. Miroku's eyes were drawn the bandages around the youkai's midsection and sighed. "I would be happy to relieve your boredom, but I really just came to collect Kirara. I don't think I'll have much chance of catching up with Inuyasha and Naota without her."

Jano gave him a piercing look. "You're leaving?"

The monk nodded. He'd known that he couldn't keep pace with them and Kirara had been the only means of saving Jano's life, but he couldn't just continue to sit while Kagome and Sango were missing, perhaps in great danger. "I would love to spend more time here," he said quietly. "But I can't stay here in safety while Sango and Kagome might be…" He stopped himself, refusing to voice his fears.

"Sesshomaru left before dawn," Jano answered soberly. "If anyone can find them, he can."

"I believe that," the monk said, somewhat harshly. The inuyoukai gave him an appraising look, seeing the tension in the young monk's face, the stark worry that he was trying to hide behind his easy grin.

"So that's it," Jano said, leaning back against a pile of cushions. "Are you sure this isn't about something else? Like the fact that if she needs to be rescued, you want to be the one to do it?"

Miroku glared at him. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not at all," Jano grinned, watching the monk start to get angry. "However, it has been my experience that chasing after another man's wife can be dangerous. In your case, it might be fatal. Haven't you realized yet that their feelings are strong and completely mutual?"

Miroku glanced away from him. "Yes. I no longer have any doubts about their feelings for each other. I realize now that Sesshomaru was only trying to protect Sango by making her stay here, and that he was angry when she rejected that protection."

"So?" Jano prompted when the monk fell silent.

"Maybe I'm just a damned fool for caring so much about a woman I will never have."

Grimacing, Jano reached behind him to grab a cushion and flung it at Miroku. The human looked startled, but managed to catch it and glared at Jano. "I didn't say you were a fool, Miroku. But you aren't inuyoukai and I also don't expect you to understand what's going on under your nose."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I take it your feelings for Sango haven't prevented you from spending time with Aiko."

"Aiko?" Miroku frowned and scratched the back of his head. "What does Aiko have to do with it?"

He sighed. If she hadn't told him…perhaps he shouldn't interfere. As a youkai, Aiko might not be all that concerned with what a human lover thought about her pregnancy. Makiko had certainly been concerned with what he thought and had taken it out on him for good measure. Maybe he should just keep his mouth shut and let them work it out for themselves.

"I'm sure you haven't been told," Jano found himself saying, "but it seems as if I'm going to be a father. Makiko informs me that she is pregnant and to hell with me if I'm not happy about it."

"Not happy about it?" Miroku stared at him, folding his arms and peering into Jano's face with a look of intense interest. "Why wouldn't you be happy? Aiko told me that you two have been at odds for years, only because you're both too stubborn to admit that you cared for each other."

"That's true," the inuyoukai admitted. "I've been pursuing that woman since before you were born, but now…" He let his voice trail off thoughtfully, pretending to stare at the ceiling while he watched the monk's face from the corner of his vision. "Still, I hadn't expected this. Are you aware that inuyoukai females usually encounter difficulty when trying to conceive? It is a bit of a shock."

"Shock or not, you have a responsibility to your offspring," Miroku said, a scolding note in his voice. "Have you told Makiko how you feel?"

Jano shrugged. "What does it matter? So she's with child, that's not my problem. After all, we were just enjoying each other, I see no reason why it should lead to anything more. As Makiko is a resident of this fortress, it's not like I will have to provide for her or have anything to do with the baby if I don't wish to."

"You selfish bastard," Miroku snapped. "How can you have so little interest in your own child?"

Smiling a little at the outrage in Miroku's voice, Jano regarded him with some amusement. "Is that how humans are?" he asked archly, watching the monk's face darken. "If you were in a similar situation, especially being in love with another man's wife, would you be willing to tie yourself down to a single woman?"

"That's not the point! I would still expect to be a part of my son or daughter's life, regardless of how I felt about the child's mother. Is it common for inuyoukai fathers to abandon their children?"

"Who's abandoning anyone?" Jano answered mildly. "If you're asking if Sesshomaru would do something like that, my answer is no. He's always been wary of showing affection to anyone, the fact that he feels so strongly about your Sango is a sign of his commitment. However, he also expected for her to bear his child and intended it. As I mentioned, inuyoukai females do not conceive easily…with inuyoukai. When human blood is involved it is far more likely that a baby will be the result of an even casual liaison."

Miroku snorted. "I didn't think we were talking about Sango," he said grumpily.

"Maybe we aren't," Jano shot back. "Thick-headed monk, I asked you about Aiko and then I mentioned that humans and inuyoukai are more likely conceive and you still think I'm just talking about Sango and Sessh?"

The monk paled, leaning away from him. "What are you saying? Aiko and I…she's pregnant??

"He finally gets it," Jano muttered. "It's not my place to say, but I definitely think you should ask her. Before you leave to go after your friends."

Miroku looked abashed, staring down at his fingers as he nervously worked at the beads on his left hand. "If she is," he said quietly. "Why hasn't she told me?"

Sighing, Jano settled himself a little more comfortably. "Who knows? What about you? How do you feel about fathering a half-demon? Are you willing to take responsibility?"

"I would never abandon my own child," the monk said tightly. "You're a fool, Jano, if you would reject Makiko's baby or try to pretend that it has nothing to do with you. Only a bastard would…"

Jano's laugh rang out. "Oh that," he said easily, grinning up at the monk with mischief in his eyes. "I would never consider it, I'm happy, in fact. Only way to get that idiot woman to admit she wants me in the first place."

"So I'm an idiot, is that right?"

Makiko's voice made both males jump as she entered the room, a forbidding expression on her usually smooth face. Her dark eyes were snapping with irritation as she looked first at Miroku and then at her lover. "Isn't it impolite to discuss a lady's condition between yourselves?"

"Makiko," Jano began nervously, but she waved her hand to quiet him.

"Always a meddler," she said darkly. "I told you to let it alone, let Aiko tell him in her own way. If you weren't already injured…"

"He's feeling much better," Miroku said bluntly, realizing that Jano had been goading him into admitting that he wanted to be part of the baby's life. It wasn't fair of the inuyoukai to put him on the spot like this when Aiko hadn't told him anything.

"Is he really?" Makiko said sweetly, her eyes still glittering. "Perhaps I should be the judge of how well he's healed. Please excuse us, houshi-sama, I need to examine this patient and find out if his injury might have affected his mind."

The monk was only too happy to leave, catching a glimpse of Jano's desperate expression. He smirked to himself, sure that Jano was in for a rough time and fully deserving of it. It bothered him though, that Aiko hadn't told him. If she wanted to keep it secret, he supposed he had to respect that. It would be difficult for her, he knew too well that most youkai regarded half-breeds with scorn.

Although, in this fortress, with this particular youkai lord and his human wife…yes, he admitted to himself, wife was the correct word to use…Aiko's baby wouldn't necessarily bear such burden as Inuyasha had. For that alone he could be grateful, but to not be allowed a part in his own child's life…that would be hard to accept.

"Miroku?"

He turned at her soft voice, seeing Aiko looking at him nervously from the shadows in the corridor. He swallowed hard, she was such a lovely girl and he had to admit he had very much enjoyed her company. To think that it was now complicated, that their pleasure in each other now had unexpected consequences that might bring her pain, he regretted that.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly.

Aiko blushed, glancing away from him before looking back to meet his eyes. "I wasn't sure how you'd feel," she answered at last. "I already know how you feel about Sango-sama, she's a beautiful woman and you are very right to be in love with her."

"That's so," he agreed, seeing the hesitant way she met his eyes. "We've been through a lot together, it has been hard for me to accept that she doesn't return my feelings. You and I…we barely know each other, Aiko."

Aiko straightened her shoulders proudly. "I am not my sister," she informed him. "Makiko has always been the strong one, but I am not weak either. I don't want for you to think I'd force you to stay with me, or care about this baby."

"What kind of a man do you think I am?" Miroku exploded, startling her. He advanced on the girl slowly, a tender expression replacing the anger in his eyes. "Do you think so little of humans? I have dreamed of the day when a woman would have my child."

Then he glanced down at his hand, his fingers tightening around the beads that bound the wind tunnel that was his curse. "But there's things you don't know about me, Aiko. This hand of mine…"

"I know of your curse," she said, sadness in her eyes as she reached tenderly for his cheek. "You already have so many burdens to bear, how could I add to them?"

"A child is not a burden," Miroku said, his voice very soft.

She smiled shyly. "Is it too much for me to hope, that you might someday grow to care for me too?" she asked, her wistful tone touching his heart. "I know…I am youkai and you are a human, but perhaps…"

Miroku grinned, pulling her against him so he could hold her and soothe away her doubts. "Silly girl," he murmured into her hair. She'd been so fierce before, overwhelming really, in a way he'd never experienced with human lovers. He could tell now that her boldness was cover for her sensitive heart. Just like any human girl, she was nervous and afraid of rejection.

"I think you're very special," he said softly, stroking her cheek with gentle fingers. "I already care about you, I just never expected that you would feel the same." It was true, although he understood now that he would never stop loving Sango, probably never really get over it, but he wasn't as much of a fool as Jano had taken him for.

Aiko's eyes were bright as she tilted her head back to look at his face. "I know you have to go after her and the priestess, you won't abandon them either. But when you do leave, please remember that I will be waiting for you to return."

"I will," Miroku whispered, bending to brush his lips against hers. Aiko's arms tightened around him, holding him to the promise of return. And he would, he swore, knowing the danger of what he faced, what they all faced. Against his will, he was forced to let Sango go to another, one who loved her just as much with all of a daiyoukai's pride and power.

He was going to be a father.


	48. FortyEight

_**Chapter FortyEight**_

"I wish I could tell you more, but that's all I know."

Sesshomaru said nothing, only turned his gaze to the north. The sky was darkening towards night, the shadows of the forest growing longer as he stood here listening to the old man. North. A direction, it was all he had to go by, to rescue the woman he loved from a creature that could hide her scent even from him.

It was enough. It had to be.

"You're sure that Kagome and Kohaku were alive?" Inuyasha burst out, grabbing the elderly smith by his shoulder. "How long ago? Were they injured? Are you sure that Naraku's demons were following them?"

Toutousai sighed and patted the boy on the arm. "I'm sure it was your grandsire, Inuyasha. He was carrying your friends, including the demon slayer, when he left this place. He went west, but as I tracked him at a distance, he then turned north without Kagome and the boy. He must have left them somewhere deep in the forest because he was only carrying the woman when I lost him."

"West, huh?" Inuyasha turned to glare at Naota. "If he left them alone, they couldn't have gotten very far."

"If this old fool saw them at all," Naota muttered. "I still don't believe a word of it, Inutaisho would never…"

"Fuck him," Inuyasha growled. He grabbed Naota hard, digging his claws into his cousin's shirt. "I don't give a damn what he did, all I care about is finding Kagome."

"You don't know what it means if your father is alive," Naota snarled, sounding more like a demon than ever. He turned back towards the elder brother, a desperate note in his voice now. "Sessh, you can't tell me that…"

He was speaking to thin air and looking up, he saw a bright streak of energy heading due north. "Damn it!"

"Impulsive lads," Toutousai chuckled as Inuyasha spun around and sprinted west. "You can sure tell they're brothers. Just like the old dog himself."

He slapped Naota on the shoulder, shaking his head as he ambled towards his ox. Then he stopped and gave Inutaisho's nephew a faint and sad smile. "You know he didn't do it to hurt you, Naota. If he'd been able to tell you why, he wouldn't have had to disappear like that."

Naota looked away, his shoulders slumped. "He didn't trust anyone," he muttered, almost to himself. "Is that what you're telling me, Toutousai? You were one of his oldest friends. Surely if he could confide in anyone, he would have told you his reasons?"

The elderly smith sighed, scratching absently. "Can't say that he would have trusted me with his reasons, since he didn't. I thought he was dead myself, and carried out his will with a heavy heart. But," he paused, giving Naota a piercing look, "I know that right now, he'd want you to help his sons."

"Is that so?" Naota murmured as the old man left him standing alone in the forest. He stared up at the sky for a long moment, his jaw tightening. Inuyasha had only been a baby; he'd never known his father. And Sesshomaru had been consumed with anger, unwilling even to grieve at the time. So Naota had mourned alone, abandoned even in his sadness, and found it bitter still.

"So, uncle," he murmured, "you'd want me to help them because you're not here to do it yourself. That much I can do."

oOo

It looked like it was going to be a beautiful morning.

Kagome sighed to herself, carrying a small wooden bucket to the stream. She wondered again when Inuyasha would find her and Kohaku. She was trying very hard not to worry about Sango as well. It wasn't easy, but she had to keep up a brave face for Kohaku. As sick as he'd been, he didn't need to make himself weaker with worry.

Kagome was worried and not just for Sango's sake. At first, she'd thought maybe they'd finally had a bit of luck in gaining Shi's protection. The youkai herself didn't seem powerful. In fact she was even more vulnerable because of her advanced pregnancy, but Kuchinashi's presence was more than intimidating and at night, they didn't even hear the crickets chirp.

However, demonic stallions and enigmatic pregnant youkai couldn't help Kohaku.

She'd known something was the matter the day before when Kohaku had needed to rest often. Shi had graciously offered to let the boy ride with her on the charger's broad back, but he'd refused. By nightfall, Kohaku was feverish and all Kagome could do was mop his forehead with a cool rag and worry.

"Your young friend is quite ill," Shi said softly, watching as Kagome wrung out another rag with cool water.

"I need to get him home," Kagome said. It wasn't that she didn't trust this strange woman, but she was hesitant to tell her the whole story. Instead she shook her head, putting on a false smile of confidence. "He'll be better once we get there."

"And where is home?" The youkai woman didn't seem overly concerned, simply watching the ill boy with a disinterested expression. "You said you were traveling west, is his home far from here?"

Kagome honestly had no idea. She couldn't tell how many miles away the fortress might be, getting there might take weeks for all she knew. They had to have a direction to go and west was all she could come up with. She couldn't very well tell Shi she was only waiting until Inuyasha found them. And once the offer was made, she couldn't politely tell her to go on without them.

Kneeling beside the stream, Kagome dropped the bucket in the water and closed her eyes. "Inuyasha," she whispered, hoping he'd hear her somehow. "I need you to find me. Kohaku is getting worse, if we don't get him back to the fortress…he might not make it. Please find us quickly."

The bushes behind her rustled as if in response to her words. For a long moment, Kagome refused to turn around. It was too much to hope for, that just as she'd been speaking his name, help would come for them at last.

A cold nose nuzzled the back of her leg and Kagome jumped, startled. She sighed as the furry nose inserted itself under her arm. "Oh, it's just you," she said, smiling a little bit at her morbid worries. "Did you follow me again?"

The big gray dog yawned and Kagome reached out to scratch his ears. Another of Shi's traveling companions, although not as unearthly as the war stallion. Kagome wondered if the youkai woman just traveled around collecting different creatures. A demon horse, an old dog, now a pair of humans. Shi was certainly an eccentric sort of person.

Sitting here and feeling sorry for herself wasn't going to do Kohaku any good, Kagome decided firmly. Inuyasha would find them, or Sesshomaru. It was possible that they were searching together, the brothers who were intent on finding their lost human…mates? Lovers? Wives?

She blushed, remembering the things that she and Inuyasha had said to each other, how everything finally seemed to fall into place for them. Then this happened and now everything was in doubt.

"I don't know what to do," she said softly, still stroking the dog's grizzled ears. He was a strange creature himself, with long legs and too much hair to be reasonable. He reminded her of a kind of dog she'd seen in an old storybook, years ago. She didn't even know his name…or if he had one. Shi hadn't offered one either.

The dog didn't seem to mind being nameless, he simply yawned again and put his head in her lap. _Don't worry_, he seemed to be telling her, _these things have a way of working out_.

Sighing, Kagome gently pushed the dog away. If nothing else, she could try to make some broth for Kohaku and see if the boy would eat. At least while they traveled together, she and Kohaku weren't in danger. And her furry companion had brought her a fresh rabbit for supper the night before. While it had turned her stomach a bit to skin and clean the small carcass, she'd been grateful for the contribution.

"Let's get back," she informed the dog. He wagged his tail solemnly, but she thought she saw a hint of humor in his dark eyes before he bounded off into the brush. She pulled the bucket from the stream, poured out a little so it didn't slop all over her as she walked. If only she had some way of telling Inuyasha where to find her, then she could…

"Kagome!" a joyful voice shouted. "I finally found you!"

She was nearly knocked off her feet, her bucket falling to the ground and splashed its contents over her feet. Her socks and shoes were soaked right through with the icy water, but she barely noticed as she was swept up in an enthusiastic hug.

"Kouga," she gasped. "I can't breathe!"

He set her down immediately, his hands taking her arms to hold her steady. "Are you okay?" the wolf asked, his eyes dark with concern. "I know that bastard Naraku took you away, he didn't hurt you?"

She was so relieved to see him she wanted to break down in sobs, but she knew better. "I'm fine," she assured him. "Have you seen…"

He threw his arms around her again and she found her nose buried against his chest. "Kagome, you're safe with me," Kouga murmured. "I'd never let you get hurt, that stupid dog should have taken better care of you."

"That's not what…"

"Hush." Kouga stroked her hair soothingly, but Kagome's nose was still mashed against his chest and it was none too comfortable. "I'm gonna protect you now, Kagome. You don't have to worry about a thing."

_Great_, she thought, wiggling as she tried to disengage from his embrace. "Uh, you can let go of me now."

Grimly, she pushed him back. "Listen to me, Kouga," she said, as gently as she could. "I appreciate you coming to find me, I really do." There just wasn't any easy way to say it. "I'm happy to see you, but I love Inuyasha."

"That mutt?" Kouga snorted in annoyance. "He can't protect you, he let you get kidnapped by Naraku."

"That wasn't his fault," she began, but he didn't seem to hear her.

"If you were mine, I'd never let you out of my sight!"

"She ain't yours, asshole!"

Kouga spun around and Kagome staggered for a moment, caught off balance by his sudden release. Inuyasha was standing a few feet away, obviously having heard everything Kouga said. And he was seething.

Glad as she was to see him, Kagome couldn't help but cover her face with her hands and groan.

"Here we go again."

oOo

The woman was asleep; no doubt tired by the pace he'd set for their travels. Her dark hair spread over her face in loose waves, her soft lips trembling slightly. Exhaustion had driven her to rest, but it was not an easy rest. Nor could it be with his presence lying over her like a shroud.

He wanted her, holding back from enjoying her body had proved to be more difficult that he'd believed when he'd made his promise. And a youkai who was no longer just a youkai sat back to consider his options while the female he desired slept under his touch.

The brat inside her wasn't his; there was no reason for him to protect it. But the youki of the child's aura was strong and it compelled him. He had no reason to preserve another man's offspring. And if she weren't pregnant, she'd have no reason to reject him.

_It would be simple_, he thought, _to cause a miscarriage_.

Then she might belong only to him, not to her unborn babe, not to the demon who had sired it. Almost, he reached out, pressed his palm against her belly as she slept. So simple, the mere touch of his power and the fetus would abort, probably causing considerable pain and damage to its mother, but he might risk that.

If he could be sure she'd belong to him afterwards.

"No…" she murmured, twisting in her sleep and putting one of her slender hands over her belly. He smiled to himself; even unconscious she was aware of his thoughts. As each day went by, she was becoming more accustomed to him. This Sango no longer flinched when she looked into his face, even if she did shudder at the most casual touch of his hand.

But he wasn't ready yet, he hadn't decided how long he could wait, or if the baby would be worth the trouble. No, he couldn't sire his own children on her, but still…

Perhaps there would be a way, some dark, forbidden art. Find a way to place the corrupted image of himself within her womb, make her mother to his heirs. Scowling, he stood and looked out over the dark forest. Dark youki flowed from him, its power wrapping around his body, worming inside his mind like hot needles and pain.

There was so much he didn't remember, like his name and who he'd been. He didn't care either, not really. It didn't matter to him, his nameless past. This land would fall to him, like all had fallen to him. If only he could make her understand what he was offering her.

It was not a small thing to be made consort to a dark god.

Restless in her dreams, she murmured something he couldn't hear…a name perhaps? It made him angry, that his woman would be whispering another's name in her dreams. She should think only of him, dream only of him!

"So be it," he muttered, letting his hand fall on her. He caressed the smooth curve of her hip, letting his fingers wander up to her soft breast. Delicious, he wanted to devour her, possess her soul, destroy her past and make her only his.

His cold fingers caressed her cheek, gently turning her face towards his. A touch of his mind ensured that she continued to sleep and he leaned close until his lips brushed hers.

"Sleep, dear love," he whispered. "Dream of me."

oOo

The sky and earth stretched out before her, endless and wide. Sango caught her breath at the sight. Never in all her travels, crossing the lands in pursuit of Naraku and the jewel, had she ever seen any place like this. Vast and open wilderness, untouched by any sign of agriculture, it was overwhelming. She turned around slowly, her mind dark and fuzzy. She couldn't remember how she'd come to such a place and her heart gave a sick thump at the thought.

Where were her friends, her little brother? Had she left them behind? And more than that…there was someone else missing. How could he find her if she'd been taken this far from the land of her birth? Silent tears streaked her cheek and Sango closed her eyes against the wild, open landscape.

Where was Sesshomaru, her heart begged to know. Had he given up on her, was he dead? Had that dark monster taken her so far that even her husband's power could never reach?

She smelled smoke, thick and rancid, too obviously filled with the stench of burning flesh. It streaked the imperious blue sky, the fetid wind making the long grass shiver and twitch. Her instincts awoke, recognizing the smell of battle.

Sango turned, drawn somehow to face what had to be a slaughter. Not far from her was the source of the rank smoke. A village was burning. She could see horsemen as they razed the village, setting it ablaze as they attacked the inhabitants. Her heart twisted inside her, thinking of innocent women and children falling under the sword, their plaintive cries as they were cut down.

She wasn't a woman who'd ever been able to abandon people in need.

Running now, she charged down the hill, her hands already grasping uselessly for a sword she wasn't carrying, her Hirakotsu somehow absent. She grit her teeth in frustration, how could she fight for them if she was unarmed?

Just as she reached the edge of the village, she heard a piercing scream and her eyes were drawn to a woman who was running for her life. One of the fierce horsemen, this one wielding a massive blade, cut off her escape as his horse reared and screamed a battle cry. The woman fell to the ground, dragging a little child with her as she tried to shield him.

"Stop it," Sango shouted, furious. "Leave them alone!"

The man on horseback ignored her, looking down at his helpless prey. The woman continued to scream and beg and for the first time Sango realized that she couldn't understand a word she said. She didn't know this language, like she didn't recognize this land, the style of the houses, or the armor that the men wore. Even the woman and child were dressed strangely, their clothing made of skins and bright, roughly woven material.

The man raised his sword and without thinking, Sango ran forward. It was a helpless impulse; some part deep inside her just could not stand by while a woman and child were murdered. She was trained to fight, fight even for these strange people. She couldn't tell even now if they were human or youkai, they seemed so foreign.

Sango gasped as the man brought down his sword in a killing stroke and braced herself for the blow. The crudely forged blade passed right through her body, as if she were made from smoke instead of flesh and bone. Shocked, she turned around, expecting to face the corpses of the very people she'd wanted to defend.

_A noble gesture, my love, but futile_.

The little boy stared up at her, his eyes wide and black as jet. His long hair fell around his shoulders in wild tangles, something about his furious expression pulled at her soul.

"You," she whispered, not believing what she was seeing.

The child ran forward, having somehow deflected the killing stroke with a discarded spear. She realized the spear was reinforced with iron bars and for a long moment, all she could think was how the boy, barely more than a toddler, had managed to lift it. He'd knocked away the heavy blade of a well-armed man, saving his mother's life.

Sango staggered, feeling suddenly weak. The horse reared and screamed angrily, as thirsty for blood as its master. She expected the child would die next, die right in front his terrified mother, but strangely, the horseman lowered his heavy sword and faced them.

Then the warrior started to laugh like a madman and shouted to his comrades. He raised his arm in some kind of signal, his orders sounding harsh and guttural. To her utter surprise, the other attackers started to withdraw. The boy looked confused, looking back at his mother as no trained warrior would have and then his voice broke in a piercing scream.

As soon as he'd turned back for his mother, the horseman in front of him had surged forward, sweeping down with a long arm to seize the child by his hair. Sango could only watch as the struggling child was knocked unconscious and was laid like a dead weight over the horse's withers.

Then the dizziness increased and Sango felt sick, falling to her knees as the dream around her faded, muting into shades of gray that whispered around her body like smoke.

oOo

The woman stirred and opened her eyes, her face was very pale. He sat silently beside her, watching. She seemed unsurprised to find him there and raised a hand to her forehead, wincing as if in pain.

"The boy was you," Sango said, her voice hardly more than a rough croak.

Indeed, she was sharp. Even in the magic of his dream, she'd been able to recognize him and that pleased him immensely. As he'd thought, she was more than capable of understanding his mind. It had been effortless for him to guide her to what he wanted to see…one of the few memories that he was able to retain after so many years.

"Yes," he answered, his voice a dark rumble, a sinister purr. "That was myself as a child. How many centuries ago, I do not know."

Grimly, she sat up, pushing her hands behind her and turning her face away. Was it difficult for her to look at him, now that she'd seen the child he'd been? He sat back, his dead-white hands resting on his knees and the long black claws shining in the early morning light.

"Why did you show me that?" Sango finally asked. He smiled to himself; of course she'd question his reasons. It should be obvious to her, but he was willing to explain. Patiently.

"I was taken from my home as a young boy," he said, letting his words roll over her in soft tones. "It was so long ago, I do not remember the name I was given. In any case, it does not matter as I have no need for such a name. The ones who took me made sure I did not remember."

She said nothing, only continued to stare up at the sky. It was steadily growing lighter as if in response to her wishes. He preferred the shadows. Strange how the memories seemed stronger now that he'd shared them with her. Almost, he willed her back to sleep, to see if reliving those tortured years would gain more understanding.

"Did…did you ever see your family again?" Her question was sullen, as if she resented her own curiosity. Sango didn't want to know more about him, she didn't want to understand this thing that had captured her. He could feel that resentment and fear as plainly as he'd felt her anger. And he savored them just as keenly as he intended to savor her kisses one day.

"They were ignorant peasants," he said, his voice a sibilant hiss. "Nomads, herders of goats and only gathered their pathetic tribe together for the long rainy seasons when they couldn't travel. My people, I recall, lived in squalor and poverty, and they kept no arms at all."

"And that makes them pathetic?" she asked, hitching herself up to lean on her elbows. He admired the shape of her body as she moved, the lean waist and muscular thighs. Smiling darkly, he reached over to touch the collar of her yukata and slid his finger between the fabric and her skin.

Flushing, the woman pushed his hand away. She was so bold, even afraid of his touch; she was bold enough to reject him openly. "Yes," he said, not even annoyed that she recoiled from him. "They were pathetic, the men who took me understood more of the world. They saw my potential, I suppose, and thought to turn me into their weapon."

"But your family," she said again, drawing him back to what didn't matter anymore. "I saw your mother, she was alive when they took you. Didn't you ever wonder…"

"No," he bit out. "They were weak, I was not. None of them would have survived what was done to me. For years they trained me under the harshest conditions, conditions a weak child like yourself could not begin to understand."

The memories were becoming clearer, years of torment, hardship. Days into weeks, into years of abuse…to make him stronger. To make him ruthless, merciless. Worse than the punishing, physical training had been…

"They kept me for years," he said, his voice gone hollow. The woman was holding her breath, listening to him. "Their priests were human, and they used their skills to bind my youki and bend it their will."

"Humans did that to you?" She sounded so surprised and when he looked at her, she was sitting up and facing him seriously. The woman's eyes were full of sympathy for the boy he had been, an innocent.

There was more to it than that, but he couldn't find the words to describe what had truly been done to him. A fine, prying magic like needles in his brain, burning away what might have once been compassion and replacing it with sadistic pleasure in pain. They'd twisted him impossibly, turning him into a beast at the end of their chain.

To destroy the hated youkai of their lands.

"They called themselves exterminators," he said, feeling her horror creeping with every word. "They thought to turn me into their tool, but all they accomplished was their own destruction."

He remembered his escape quite well now. How their torture had made him stronger than they'd dreamed, how once he'd freed himself from their binding spells…his power was like a fiery wind of pure devastation. In a single night, he'd murdered and hacked his way through all the humans who'd held him prisoner and emerged from the chaos bathed in their blood.

She was trembling. The woman, he had not meant to make her afraid again, but somehow she could sense what he'd done. Just like she'd felt sympathy for the child taken from his home, just like she'd pitied his fate, she could feel the darkness burning inside of him.

Tenderly, he reached out and stroked her cheek. So warm, so soft…he wanted her now, nothing could quench the desire this time. Yes, she was an exterminator herself, but he bore her no hatred for that. It made her all the more desirable, to have a woman like this under his control. It would have been too easy to hurt her, take her, but so much more satisfying if he could teach her to revel in becoming his.

She flinched when he moved close, averting her face when he kissed her throat hungrily. Exciting, to have her know at last what he wanted from her. It wasn't her body he wanted, or even her child. He would not stop until Sango became his…completely…and lived within the darkness at his side.

"No," she whispered as his caresses became more insistent. "You promised me you wouldn't…"

"I am tired of waiting," he growled into her chest. "If you do not resist, if you do not fear me, your child will not be harmed."

Sango gasped as he swept aside the thin fabric that covered her breasts, his tongue hot and hungry. Either way, she was lost. Everything she'd endured since he'd freed her from Naraku had been wasted. She could feel the dark madness that consumed him; it was like a sickness battering against her body and mind.

Gentle or cruel, she would be destroyed by it.

No, she would not give up so easily. Sango knew it was futile to struggle; it would only incite him to be more vicious in taking what he wanted. Instead she let her body go limp, passively accepting his kisses and his touch. Her body would be defiled, but her spirit would survive. As the world around her grew dark, she clung to the presence of her unborn baby. Its youki was like a small golden light, a tiny flame that she wrapped herself around protectively.

Her baby…Sesshomaru's baby…together they would endure this too.

"I just have one question," she murmured, her voice already fading like a forgotten dream.

He raised his head and looked at her. Those eyes, how could she not see the child he had been? For all they burned like black flames, they were stoked with the blood of a thousand and more murders. Depravity was ingrained within him, taught him as a child until he learned to feed upon the monstrous acts of terror.

She refused to believe that was all there was to his story.

"What is it, dear love?" he asked, his fingers probing deeper, searching for her. He could afford another moment of patience.

"After you escaped…did you go to find your family?"

She didn't know what she was expecting for an answer, maybe denial or a cruel laugh. Instead he froze, his fingers stopped their invasion and he stared at her like she'd stabbed him with her words. Then, swift as lightning, he pulled away and left her shuddering with relief.

"Yes."

Sango cried out when his hand buried itself in her hair, wrenching her to her feet. He dragged her to the nearest tree and flung her hard against it, his claws already seizing her throat. Her question, meant only to distract him, had inflamed the madness within him and she knew that she was about to die.

"You want to know about my family?" he rasped, digging in with the tips of his claws until she felt sticky blood on her throat. "You care what happened to those fools, passive weak creatures that only wanted to be left in peace?"

She couldn't answer; he was squeezing her throat so tightly that she couldn't breathe. Desperately, she pulled at his hand, but it was locked around her neck like an iron shackle. As her vision dimmed and the blood roared in her ears, she felt him invade her body once again. But this time it was with his mind that he violated her.

As dusk fell across an endless landscape, she saw the fires of an encampment. Small tents made of skins, decorated with bright woven banners here and there. Men sat by the fire, tending to their tools while women cooked together. Here and there, children ran around the small camp, laughing as they played or were put to tasks. It made her shiver, they looked so vulnerable…

"See them now," he whispered, his voice ice against her ear. Sango struggled, somehow knowing what she'd been brought here to see. She didn't want to see it, but his arm was like steel around her belly, his claws against her throat.

"No," she murmured, closing her eyes. Closing her eyes did nothing; she could still see everything just as plainly…it was his vision, in her mind.

Up a hill that overlooked the small camp, a slim figure appeared. His hair was long and matted, his adolescent face hidden by the tangles. But she could see him well, could see that his clothing was torn and stained with dark blood. In each hand, he held a long sword; the bright steel already caked with gore.

"No," Sango said again, denying what she knew had already happened centuries before.

The boy ran down the hill, his voice rising in guttural challenge. Swifter than the men who grabbed for spears, much faster than the women who ran to protect their children…he cut them apart as if they were standing still. Screams tore the air and Sango found herself sobbing for those helpless people even as she stood in the arms of the same monster that had murdered them.

Then it was over, she was lying on the ground with his hand over her eyes. Panting, sickened, Sango shoved herself away and tucked her head against her knees. She'd seen battles many times, seen innocent villagers die from attacks, and seen the kind of brutality that humans inflicted upon each other. Somehow this memory seemed all the more horrible, because it wasn't even hers.

"You murdered them," she said, her voice muffled. "Your own family…damn you. Why?"

His finger stroked her cheek, lifting her chin and patiently wiping away each tear streak as if to seal the vision against her skin. "Because they were weak and they were useless to me," he said as if that explained everything. "Did not your younger brother do something similar?"

She caught her breath and then steeled herself with anger. "Kohaku didn't have any choice," she spat furiously. "You knew what you were doing!"

"And you can still forgive him for your family's murder?"

"Of course," she cried, her hands balled into tight fists that ached to beat the cruel smile from his face. "How could I not forgive him? It wasn't his fault, he was just a boy! Naraku took him away and forced him, he made him forget. He made him into a monster!"

The words hung in the air and Sango's eyes widened. Slowly, realizing what she'd just said, she raised her shaking hands to her mouth. She'd called her brother a monster, no, Naraku was the monster…but that wasn't what she'd said.

"I am no different than your young brother," the demon said coldly. "I was also made into what I am. Yet you revile me while you preach your forgiveness."

"Kohaku never wanted…" she whispered, but it was already too late.

"Nor did I," the dark youkai said softly. Then he smiled and she cringed away from him, knowing that this was what he'd planned from the beginning. Sango winced as he reached for her, putting his cold hands on either side of her face so that she couldn't look away.

"I promise you," he said, staring into her eyes with solemn darkness. "When you are remade, I will take away your memories completely. You will feel no grief for your lost ones…and no pain for their deaths."

"You're insane," she breathed, suddenly seeing what he had meant for her from the beginning. She'd been a fool, thinking he planned on waiting until her child was born. Just as she'd been a fool for thinking she might have hope of winning over this darkness.

He smiled again, and chastely brushed her lips. "In particular, I will see that you have no memory of this man whose name you whisper in your dreams. When you awaken, you will know only me. The child in your womb is mine; you will have no memory of that other man's touch. You will love me then, my dearest one. And you will love the world I have created for you."

Darkness rushed in upon her, a falling black tide of night. Her lips moved soundlessly, hot tears poured from her sightless eyes. He would remake her, he would rename her, and Sango…a woman who'd fought bravely alongside dear friends, grieved and worried over her younger brother, and fallen in love with a demon prince…died.


	49. FortyNine

_Chapter FortyNine_

"Asshole wolf!"

"Stinking mutt!"

Kagome was really tired of them both. She was overjoyed to see Inuyasha again, all she wanted was to throw herself into his arms and weep with relief. The long days they were apart had been filled with tension, terror, and worry. The only thing that kept her going was that she knew Inuyasha was searching for her. She wanted him to hold her, comfort her, and reassure her that everything was going to be all right.

In addition, what did the stupid ass do? Without even looking at her, he threw himself into yet another insane and pointless fight with Kouga. She didn't know whether to cry or to strangle him herself. Kouga was no rival for her affections, but he just couldn't let it go.

Was Inuyasha really so damn dumb that he didn't know he'd already won?

"Inuyasha!" she cried out, trying to get him to stop. It was like yelling at a brick wall and for the first time since she'd removed the beads, she really wished she could give him a good, hard sit just to make him listen.

"Stay out of it, Kagome," the hanyou warned, dodging a flying kick from Kouga. "This damn wolf doesn't know when he's finished!"

"He's not the only one," she muttered, covering her eyes as Inuyasha struck Kouga with a savage punch. The wolf reeled, but kept his feet and jumped back into the fight as if he didn't even feel Inuyasha's blow.

"You're the one who's finished," Kouga snapped angrily, nearly catching Inuyasha on the end of his claws. Without the shards in his legs that had made him impossibly fast, and with Inuyasha refusing to use his sword, the two were more or less evenly matched. Inuyasha was fast enough to keep up with the wolf now, and Kouga was strong enough to give him a hard pummeling whenever they grappled together.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" she shrieked, so furious that she really wished she could get in there and give them both a thorough beating with her own hands. They ignored her, circling, striking and circling, Kouga lunging to catch Inuyasha's long hair, Inuyasha trying to drive his fists right through the lacquered armor that protected Kouga's chest.

_They could probably go on for hours_, she thought, stamping her foot. Neither would listen to her, she might as well still be on her own. Vaguely, she wondered if she could get Shi to have Kuchinashi intervene and stop the fight…

She grimaced. No, that was the last thing she wanted. The demonic horse had a voracious appetite and she wasn't at all anxious to find out if his tastes ran to either wolf demon or hanyou flesh. Kagome had seen the stallion foraging in the brush and then with a snap of impossibly long teeth, he'd come up with something that looked like a raccoon, might have been a badger, and chomped it happily to bits while blood splattered on the ground.

She hadn't been able eat that night…or the next morning…

They weren't fighting over her, not really. There was just something about Kouga, something about Inuyasha that made them unable to stand each other. Wolves and dogs did not mix, but she had a feeling these two would have felt the same no matter what. They were two boys on a schoolyard and the combination of testosterone and demon blood made what should have been a rivalry into something more explosive than gasoline on an open fire.

Bracing herself, Kagome was aware what she was about to do was indeed quite stupid. But no one else was here to stop them and if either of these idiots actually hurt the other, she'd never forgive herself. Kagome took a deep breath and started to wade between the two combatants.

A soft hand touched hers. "I wouldn't," Shi murmured, having come up behind her with an eerily quiet step. "Let them be, child. They can't help being males…or fools."

"I don't want them to hurt each other," Kagome answered, tense and frightened. They were so intense it was as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist for Kouga and Inuyasha.

"Don't worry so," Shi said, her voice hardly more than a soothing whisper. "If they really wanted to kill they would have already done so."

Kagome wasn't so sure, but there wasn't much she could do at this point other than hope Shi was right. It did seem like Inuyasha was holding back, he knew Kouga had been badly injured not two weeks before but he wasn't pressing the same advantage he would have in a truly serious fight. And Kouga kept striking and punching at Inuyasha with furious speed, although now she noticed how he seemed to miss all his chances for a lethal blow.

She had seen them both fight for their lives…this wasn't the same.

So what the hell was going on?

Just as her spine started to relax, thinking this was just Inuyasha and Kouga's way of dealing with each other, neither able to back down or give an inch, the wolf gave a fearsome growl and launched his body at the hanyou. Inuyasha took the full force of the attack and they went careening into the trees with in a medley of tangled limbs and harsh curses.

"Energetic," was Shi's only comment.

Then Inuyasha suddenly rocketed out of the brush, shouting with Kouga clamped on his back, fists flying as the wolf snarled and bit his ear. They whirled around wildly and then Inuyasha swore and flung the outraged wolf off his back and sent him flying right at Kagome and Shi.

"Inuyasha!" Her shriek was cut off as a heavy, gray-furred body suddenly shoved her out of the way. The wolf crashed into the big dog, flipping over the tall back as the animal bounded out of the trees. Kagome landed with a hard thump on her behind, barely catching a glimpse of Shi's startled face.

"That is enough!" the youkai woman shouted as she stormed over to the furious hanyou. She pushed him back with her tiny hands, barely coming up to the middle of his chest as she glowered up at him. "Behave yourself!"

He stared at her before his lips curled back in a sneer. "Who the fuck are you, bitch?"

She planted her hands on her hips, looking somewhat ridiculous as she confronted him. Her advanced pregnancy and short stature made her look like a furious mother hen. "You are behaving like an ass," she scolded. "Look at Kagome, she's been worried sick and this is how you act?"

Inuyasha flushed, refusing to look or answer. What could he say; he sure as hell wasn't going to attack a pregnant woman. Then he caught sight of Kagome as she helped a disoriented Kouga to stand. Ugly jealousy flooded him again and he growled softly. He started to move forward, but Shi caught his arm.

"Don't…" she began.

"Out of my way," he snapped, brushing the strange woman to the side. She pulled hard on his sleeve and he yanked his arm away, causing her to stumble. He turned back, instinctively reaching for her, but something heavy slammed into his back and sent him sprawling.

A large dog landed hard on his chest and Inuyasha caught a glimpse of enormous fangs as hot saliva dripped onto his face. He had the dog by the throat, claws dug into the thick fur and the animal's entire body was vibrating as it growled menacingly. Angry, he tried to throw the beast off, but the dog was incredibly strong.

"Get off me, damn it!"

He could hear Kagome's voice screaming, heard Kouga's furious shouts. Inuyasha wrestled with the dog, keeping those fangs away from his vulnerable throat. He managed to hold it back long enough to get in hard punch to the animal's face, but the angry dog didn't seem to feel it. Jaws clamped down on his wrist and he cursed when sharp teeth pierced his skin.

"Shi, please do something!" Kagome begged, fearful for both Inuyasha and the protective dog. Blood was running down Inuyasha's arm and she gasped when the hanyou suddenly pulled free, careless of the damage, and reached for his sword as the dog leapt at his throat.

The youkai woman hesitated and then shouted a word that Kagome had never heard before…

There was a brief flash of light and suddenly Inuyasha was on his back again, staring in utter disbelief at the transforming creature crouched above him. The long gray hair pulled back under the skin, the body grew and lengthened, taking on mass as the shape changed from canine to humanoid. The face above his shifted into that of a man and his mouth dropped open as the angry dog's eyes went from dark brown to pure gold.

"What the hell?" he breathed as the man stared down at him.

Hair whiter than snow fell across his face as the man shuddered violently and sat back with a bitter smile. Bemused, the very naked stranger put a hand to his now fur-less face, claws tracing sculpted cheekbones that were each graced by a jagged blue stripe. Then he grinned widely and winked at Inuyasha as if letting him in on the joke.

"Don't you just hate surprises?"

oOo

Dusk was falling over the forest and Sesshomaru felt the long shadows start to wind around his feet even before he slowed. It was quiet, unnaturally so, and he took it for a sign that he was getting close. He still couldn't catch a hint of Sango's scent, but every instinct in his body, every twitch of his nerves told him that he was getting closer to her.

There were things that couldn't be masked as easily as scent or physical traces. Those were the things that Sesshomaru trusted even more than he trusted his own senses. It might sound absurd, perhaps pathetically sentimental, but when a daiyoukai's formidable strength and power failed him...

He had to trust his heart.

And that heart told him in no uncertain terms that they would not give up on Sango. She would never give up on him and he was shamed to think that he'd ever distrusted her. He'd let himself be blinded by his pride, his cynical belief that a human heart would never be able to love as completely as a youkai one.

At the time he'd taken her love on a whim, decided to have a child with her only to prove his serious attachment to those who dared to take his private affairs lightly. He'd never expected for her to become so important to him, as vital as the power that pulsed within his youkai blood.

He'd never expected to need her...

For need her he did, with a hard yearning that spiraled beyond sexual desire or infatuation. He might lie to his people, he might even lie to his fool of a brother when it came to how deep his feelings might run, but he couldn't lie to himself. The thought of living on without Sango at his side churned his stomach into a quivering knot. The idea of losing her and the baby sickened him, weakened him in a way that he'd never thought possible.

After all these years, he was still afraid of losing.

He stopped, the grass making soft whispers around his ankles as he stared at the slowly darkening sky. What he didn't want to admit to was his fear that he was already too late. Sesshomaru knew that he was getting closer to his target, but even now, with all his senses focused…he could not feel the baby's youki. It should be an intangible line that connected them, drawing him ever closer like a bead of water sliding along a hair. He could feel nothing of the child and that absence was becoming a gaping hole in his mind.

His father had once used such a connection to find Inuyasha's mother, relying on that bond and letting the unborn hanyou's youki draw him in like a magnet. Sesshomaru preferred not to think about how similar their paths were becoming and yet not. Izayoi had been hidden away by humans, men who'd let their ambition and hatred cloud their judgment, and in doing so incurred the wrath of a daiyoukai lord.

His problem was something entirely different and far more deadly.

Sesshomaru paused, closing his eyes. His father had nearly been too late, he couldn't afford to make any mistakes. For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru felt a strange sympathy for the long-dead woman who had borne his hanyou brother. How terrified she must have been, how frantic to save her baby's life. Too easily now, Sesshomaru was seeing Sango in such a desperate place and knew that this fear that must have ensnared his father like a trap.

He wouldn't let it happen, not now, not when he'd learned that there were things he must protect!

So when he finally caught her scent, he thought for a long moment that it might be his imagination and worry. Sniffing cautiously, his heart started to race. It was her scent and whatever had been masking Sango's presence had suddenly disappeared. It was so strong now that she might have been standing beside him, reaching up with one hand to touch his cheek.

Sesshomaru turned swiftly, almost expecting to see her and found only empty air. Growling, he paced forward, glaring at the trees if they'd dared to hide her from him. The scent was concentrated, elusive in spite of its strength and Sesshomaru stopped his search and glowered around him imperiously. He knew when he was being toyed with and fury scalded the back of his throat like bile.

"End this," he said, his voice low, but forceful. "Show yourself to me, bastard. I will not be mocked!"

A soft laugh answered his words, sweet and so gently taunting. His eyes widened at her voice and he turned around slowly to look behind him. Sango's eyes glittered hatefully at him, peeling off his skin layer by layer until Sesshomaru felt as though his heart had been flayed raw. There was no love in her gaze, only a cruel twist to her lips. The sparkle and smile that had been only for him was gone, exorcised by an evil that could make flowers wilt with merely a glance.

"Sango," her name was like sweetness on his lips, but he found he couldn't taste it.

She tilted her head to the side and raised a hand to play with her hair. He found himself watching every move, the way her skin looked waxen, almost bloodless. And her eyes were too dark, her smile carved in stone. The Sango he loved moved with an easy, unconscious grace, let her expressions ripple over her face like the waves crashing upon a snowy beach.

Slowly, as if she'd forgotten the most simple of motions, she drew a battered sword. It was rusted and poorly made, not the slim katana she'd carried before. It was also filthy with old blood, the acrid stench thick in his nostrils as she swung clumsily. He sidestepped the slow attack easily and turned the blade aside with a wave of his hand.

"Puppet," he whispered, anger nearly making him sick.

But it was no illusion and Sesshomaru knew that this woman, with her dead eyes and fatally mocking smile was truly his Sango. She raised her heavy sword again and hacked at the air, unable to get close to him. Furious, he caught the dull blade in his hand, wrenched her close to him and his eyes widened as what was missing became abundantly clear.

No heartbeat…no pulse. A dark malevolence seethed beneath her skin, animating her body. A chasm opened in Sesshomaru's mind, wailing with loss, with bitter regret and an overwhelming grief that spread like a wildfire from the pit of his belly and…

"No!" His wild shout made the air around him quiver with pain, shivering the leaves from the trees like a fell wind. Sickened, he shoved her away, sending her to the ground. He wasn't about to be tricked. This could not be his Sango, the woman he loved! Enraged, he drew Tenseiga and stood over her. If this was truly her death he was seeing, then he'd call upon Tenseiga to put things right.

Why else had his father entrusted this sword to him, knowing one day his son would learn the things Inutaisho had tried to desperately to teach him. But mercy, compassion and pity were far from his heart right now. All he wanted, selfish and painfully aware of it, was to hold Sango in his arms one more time, to feel her warmth, the love that made even a cold heart want to melt like frost under spring's first sunshine.

She looked up at him, her expression blank and cold. Grimacing against the pain that was tearing him apart, Sesshomaru raised Tenseiga…and felt nothing answer him. Shocked, he saw the tip of the blade start to shake and realized the trembling was coming from his own hand. The blade remained quiet, nothing more than polished steel, its dull edge gleaming with almost sadistic beauty.

"I'm afraid that's not going to work," a rough voice grated. It was like ground glass in oil and the texture of that dark voice cut Sesshomaru from somewhere deep inside his soul. He hadn't really given much thought to Toutousai's warnings about this monster. He'd dismissed the possibility as the senile ravings of a miserable old fool, but partly he hadn't wanted to think of his precious Sango in the hands of that kind of evil.

He'd grown up on stories of his grandfather's madness, his barbaric cruelty. But he'd also grown up knowing that his father had put an end to this creature's reign, and run him through with the Tessaiga, his Tenseiga's mate and bane.

_Run him through, carved out his blackened heart, and hacked off his own father's __head_…

His back stiffened and slowly, Sesshomaru turned to face his grandfather. He wasn't a man who'd quail at the sight of anything or face the most corrupt evil with anything less than an expressionless face. What he saw wasn't quite as horrible as all that. Vaguely, he remembered when he'd been very young and Naota had made of ghost stories about their mysterious grandsire. The stories had scared Jano and Naota half silly, but Sesshomaru had always scoffed at their weakness. Evil or not, his father's father couldn't have been so monstrous that someone would die just from looking at him…

Instead what he saw was something like an ordinary inuyoukai, about his own height, with pitch-black hair pulled back from his face. He might have once been called handsome, but it was hard to tell since his skin was heavily scarred. Countless battles, unimaginable violence, depravity upon depravity until even another demon could feel the malignance that festered inside what was left of his grandfather's soul.

His eyes were drawn to a particularly thick and twisted scar, still vivid against the dead white flesh of the bastard's throat. Somewhere in the back of his memories, he could almost his father's voice, a low and bitter mutter.

"I ran him through with Tessaiga, but the son of bitch wouldn't die. He fell and kept laughing at me while blood poured from his mouth. I screamed at him to shut up, just fucking die, but he didn't stop laughing until I hacked off his head…"

Moreover, his Sango had to endure something like this, a creature so wicked that his death had haunted even the most powerful daiyoukai, his father. Sesshomaru was far from afraid, in fact, he'd never been less afraid of anything in his life. If he'd already lost what was most important to him, his wife and unborn child, he had no place left for fear in his body.

Grim with despair he'd never show, Sesshomaru slipped Tenseiga back into its sheath. He turned to face his Sango's murderer, eyes glittering with a golden hatred that matched the black fire of his grandfather's. If there had been a time for compassion or pity, he was too far past it now. The past crimes of his father and grandfather meant nothing to him.

"Didn't you come too late to save her?" the dark youkai asked, his voice a sinister whisper as he pointed a long black claw at the corpse of Sesshomaru's wife. He tilted his head to the side as if considering something heinous, then smiled wickedly. "Unless you're the kind that likes them quiet."

"No."

"I am disappointed."

The voice became a sullen buzz in his ears and Sesshomaru felt immense power and madness flow from the undead demon's body. It was like a tide of despair, a thousand deaths of innocence, love turned to betrayal, desire to cruel lust, and passion into apathy. Under that storm of vile youki, mothers would murder their children; men would ravage their wives and then flay the skin from their bodies in the ecstasy of defilement.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, green youki starting to collect around his fingertips. His eyes widened and then became crimson as power surged within his blood, barely able to contain his form as every nerve of his being ached to devour and crush his opponent.

"Good," his grandfather commented, black lightning crackling just beyond his skin. "You're going to fight. This will be interesting."

Sesshomaru smiled ever so faintly…and attacked.

oOo

Kagome was vastly uncomfortable. The day had taken just one too many strange turns and she didn't know what else it might bring. _There was just so much a person could put up with_, she thought, _before one started hopping around and screaming like Inuyasha_. At the moment, she was preoccupied with where to look, or rather where not to look, and had to give that most of her attention.

Inuyasha and Kouga sat nearby, not fighting but definitely not friendly either. They exchanged occasional growls and glares, but that was all. Actually, they kind of looked like mirror images of each other, sitting stiffly with their fists resting on their knees while she tended to Kohaku. Not that there was anything she could really do for the poor boy, he was still feverish and weak.

So she kept bathing his forehead with a damp cloth, because there was nothing more she could do for Sango's brother. He had already been through enough pain for several lifetimes. Kagome wished she had some of the medicines from her time, but spiritually she knew that even the most practical and advanced treatments probably wouldn't help Kohaku. What ailed him was not an infection or a virus; no disease that would follow that could follow the path of diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

Kohaku's soul was dying and there was nothing, absolutely nothing she could do about it.

"So what's wrong with the kid anyway?"

Kagome glanced at their newest companion and immediately blushed hard. She dropped her eyes, embarrassed, and looked anywhere else. She felt his grin without having to see it and nervously folded the damp cloth and laid it to the side.

"He's ill," she said quietly.

"I can tell that, girlie," he said, his voice a low bass rumble. "You've got a real gift for stating the obvious."

"Inutaisho," Shi said, a warning note in her voice. "Do not try to provoke Kagome, she has enough on her mind without your remarks."

The great and legendary, perhaps infamous, former lord the Western lands snorted and began to pick at his teeth with a claw. Kagome turned her head just enough to peek at him, recognizing the habit as one he shared with Inuyasha and then her cheeks turned pink again. This time he saw her embarrassment and she heard a chuckle. It really wasn't funny at all.

Somehow Inuyasha's father wasn't what she expected. Other than the fact she'd thought he was dead. Inuyasha, at least, wasn't all that shocked. He muttered something about Toutousai finally bothering to tell them the truth after all this time and didn't hide his annoyance that the old youkai was right. Kagome didn't know what she'd think either, if she'd suddenly found out that her father was still alive and had faked his death.

She supposed that Inuyasha must be going through a lot of turmoil inside. Denial…confusion…or happiness perhaps?

Actually, she thought if anything Inuyasha seemed really pissed off…

"Damn it," the hanyou suddenly growled. "Put some fucking clothes on, you ass!"

Inutaisho smirked at him. "I like being naked," he said in lofty, unconcerned tone.

Kouga seemed to be choking, he was grinning so hard she thought his face might crack. "You have a great family, mutt," he said, his eyes sparkling with humor. "My old man told me stories about this guy," he said, pointing a thumb at the unrepentantly nude dog lord. "I just never thought half of them were true."

"Shut up," Inuyasha muttered.

Inutaisho chuckled again. "I remember your father, wolf pup," he said easily, resting his elbow on his knee and be damned who saw what. "Scrawny cub who couldn't keep his mouth shut, nothing but bluster and fuzz." His expression grew fond with memory. "First time I saw him, he challenged me to a fight because I'd crossed into his territory. Wasn't worth killing so I just blistered his behind with my hand."

Kouga stopped laughing. "You…spanked my father?" he asked, outrage creeping into his tone.

"He had it coming," Inutaisho grinned, enjoying Kouga's angry glare. "Brat like you should be grateful too. If I'd taken him half seriously, he wouldn't have lived long enough to knock up your mama."

"Why, you…" Kouga growled, starting to get to his feet. Kagome quickly moved in front of him, settling herself between Inuyasha and Kouga and keeping a hand on both of them. She glanced over at Shi and the youkai woman just shrugged and gave her a what-can-you-do kind of look. It seemed that Inuyasha's ability to rub people the wrong way had been directly inherited from his father.

For some reason, she'd expected that this man would be more like Sesshomaru. Everyone at the fortress had spoken of Inutaisho-sama with such respect, awe even. They'd said that Inuyasha resembled him more than his older brother did, but as far as demeanor and dignity went…

Inutaisho casually rested his hand on the ground and flicked a pebble into the air, grinning when it struck his son between the eyes. Inuyasha bared his teeth at his sire and she patted his leg to distract him. Inuyasha looked down at her hand and then covered it with his own. The older youkai winked at her, as if he'd known that her touch would calm the hanyou.

"So how long have you two been fucking?"

Kagome gasped, her eyes going wide and Inuyasha surged forward as if he wanted to strangle his father and put him back into that mystical and entirely false grave. Shi was even faster, darting forward to smack the back of Inutaisho's head hard enough to make the old dog's eyes water.

"Bitch, if you weren't pregnant!"

"Don't let that stop you," she sneered, grabbing a handful of his hair. "I am not intimidated by your bluster and you should apologize for embarrassing your son and Kagome!"

Inutaisho batted her hand away. "I'm supposed to apologize to them for being honest?" He stood up and glowered at them all. "So what if I asked how long they'd been screwing each other, I'm just making pleasant conversation!"

Kagome covered her eyes and Inuyasha put a protective arm around her shoulders, ignoring the jealous glare from Kouga. "Nothing pleasant about you, asshole," he practically barked. "Put on some fucking clothes! Nobody here wants to see you strut around naked, you perverted old fart!"

"Don't lecture me, boy," Inutaisho snapped. "You haven't earned the right."

"Oh yeah?" Inuyasha was shouting now, on his feet before Kagome could stop the confrontation. "I think I've got the right, you miserable old goat. You fucking faked your death, ruined everyone's lives and abandoned my mother. You left the both of us to fucking die. I don't give a damn what your reasons were. You're the one that doesn't have any right to ask me anything!"

"You don't have a clue," Inutaisho sneered, folding his arms over his chest the exact same way Inuyasha did when he was supremely pissed and trying to keep from beating hell out of someone. "I didn't intend to abandon anyone."

"Bullshit," Inuyasha said, calmer now that his father seemed to be the one out of control. "Toutousai told us you showed up forty years ago with no explanation and disappeared again. Want to explain that, great lord Inutaisho?"

Flushing, his father looked away, rubbing the back of his neck in distraction. Shi sighed and stood up, going to rest her small hand on his arm. "You should tell him," she murmured. "He is your son and he deserves to know the truth."

"There's nothing to tell," he answered, his voice dark and foreboding. "I fucked up. He's right about that and I don't expect to be forgiven." Grimly, he faced his hanyou son. "You can hate me if you want, I really don't give a damn. But I am sorry about your mother and I'm sorry your brother was too much of a hateful prick to protect you."

Inuyasha's expression softened slightly at his father's description of Sesshomaru. "Yeah, well…he's a bastard, but I did survive without his help. Now I can rub it in his face whenever I want." Then Inuyasha's face grew serious and he instinctively reached for Kagome's hand. "Shit, I almost forgot…"

Kagome's heart jumped a little bit and she clutched Inuyasha's fingers. "Sango," she whispered. "Sesshomaru went after Sango, didn't he? That…thing…still has her. Inuyasha, we have to help him!"

"Since when does Sesshomaru need anyone's help?" Inutaisho muttered. "He could be up to his neck in shit and he'd never ask anyone to dig him out. Stubborn little prick…"

"Sesshomaru?" Shi suddenly butted in, her face drawn and concerned. "He's in trouble? Kagome, you didn't mention this…"

"Sango was taken," Kagome said in a small voice, tears starting to form in her eyes. "She's pregnant with his baby and that disgusting monster…" She shuddered and pressed her face against Inuyasha's chest, her skin crawling with the memory of that thing and his dark, burning eyes. "I…I think he wanted her because of the baby, because she was human and the baby wasn't…"

"Human?" Inutaisho took a step back, shocked. "Sesshomaru and a human woman? That's…impossible."

"No, it's not," Kagome bit out, angry at the disbelief in the older youkai's eyes. "I'm sorry, you don't know your sons at all, Inutaisho-sama. Sesshomaru loves Sango, loves her more than anything and it would destroy him to lose her now! And Sango is my friend; she's fought at our side all this time. After what Naraku did to her and Kohaku, she deserves to be happy with Sesshomaru!"

"Kagome," Inuyasha murmured, touching her hair.

"No," she answered fiercely. "I know you have your own reasons to hate him, Inuyasha. But I think your brother has changed. Sango wouldn't love someone who is cold and selfish. It's not because he used Tenseiga to save Kohaku's life that she loves him!"

"Used Tenseiga?" Inutaisho's face suddenly lit up in a wild grin, he threw back his head and laughed, a sound so free, and happy it seemed to lighten the very air. Kagome stared at him, suddenly seeing the figure that had become a myth. When he smiled and laughed like that, other creatures instinctively wanted to follow him. It was a charisma that both of his sons had inherited, for all Inuyasha covered it with belligerence and Sesshomaru disguised it with aloof disinterest.

For the first time, she could really see them as brothers, different and unique versions of this strange and confusing man.

"He used Tenseiga, I always knew he had it inside him." Inuyasha thought his father looked exceptionally proud. Still grinning, he strode over to put his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "And you with Tessaiga, eh? I knew I made the right decision, Sessh's pride be damned! Bet he had a hard time swallowing that!"

Inuyasha smiled, looking shy at his father's praise. "Yeah, he did."

Kagome's eyes were misty, seeing the affection in Inutaisho's eyes, Inuyasha's embarrassed acceptance of it. Yes, this was what she'd wanted to see, this was what Inuyasha had needed all his life. After losing his mother at such a young age and the harsh rejection of his embittered older brother, nothing could heal his insecurities more than his father's approval. If she hadn't been so worried about Kohaku and Sango, she would have sighed at this perfect moment.

Inutaisho rested his hand on his son's shoulder a moment longer, then frowned before moving to touch the top of Inuyasha's head. "Damn, you're fucking short, kid," he blurted out. "You didn't get that from me!"

"You asshole!"

Inutaisho grinned when his son batted his hand away. "Easy to set you off," he commented. "I was like that at your age too. Although," he said, frowning again. "You should have matured more by now. It's like you stopped growing for a while or something…"

"It's none of your damn business," Inuyasha said hotly. "Just keep your mouth shut about it!"

"Perhaps it was due to the spell that sealed him to the tree," Shi said, her voice serene and calm. "You did mention finding him that way when you awoke forty years ago."

The forest went utterly still and Kagome could sense an aura of palpable rage surrounding father and son. Inuyasha's hands were clenched into fists and his arms were shaking. She took a deep breath in through her teeth and told herself she was not going to interfere. If what Shi had just said were true, it would mean that…

"You just left me there?" Inuyasha demanded, his eyes fairly snapping gold sparks at his father.

Inutaisho seemed preoccupied by the state of the dirt under his feet. "You looked fine," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck again. "Perfectly preserved I'd say."

"And you just left me hanging there!"

Wincing, the former lord of the West offered a sheepish grin. "Damn, I haven't heard anyone yell that loud since Naota put a nest of baby snake demons in your brother's porridge…"

"Don't change the subject!" Inuyasha was blistering with anger and took a swipe at his father's bare torso with his claws. Inutaisho looked startled and chagrined, but sidestepped the attack as if practiced in dodging angry hanyou. The attempt did nothing to pacify Inuyasha, who advanced again with claws raised.

"Your own kid and you just left me hanging on a tree for another forty years? What kind of father are you?" Inuyasha bellowed.

Eyes snapping, Inutaisho made no attempt to evade Inuyasha. "It was a shrine maiden's spell," he retorted. "I figured you'd done something to deserve it!"

"What the hell kind of excuse is that!"

Suddenly, in a blur too fast for mortal eyes to see, Inutaisho was behind his angry son and gripping the back of his hair. "Did you deserve it?" he asked softly, giving Inuyasha a quick shake like an older dog disciplining a puppy. "What did you do, attack a village or something?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, but his face turned as red as his haori. Naraku had been the one to attack him, attack Kikyou…but he'd gone after the jewel all on his own. He'd been determined to punish her for betraying him and if he hadn't been so damned mad and hurt, he never would have gone after the sacred jewel again.

"Maybe," he muttered.

"Thought so," Inutaisho said, letting him go. He glanced over at Kagome and smiled, absently patting his son on the head again. "But you wouldn't be traveling with a priestess if you hadn't changed your ways. And I don't think that little girl would love you if you kept attacking innocent humans."

With a smile, Kagome nodded and put her hand on Inuyasha's arm. "Of course not," she said softly, watching his ears twitch at her words. "He has a kind and brave heart, for all he tries to hide it."

Still blushing a bit, Inuyasha met her eyes and returned her smile. "If I do, it's because of you," he murmured so softly that she almost couldn't hear the words. "Having you at my side is…"

"Oh I think I'm gonna be sick," Kouga groaned loudly. Inuyasha shot him a glare, but the wolf waved his hand in disgust. "Never mind, mutt, right now I just want to go find that other bastard. I don't care if he stole Sesshomaru's woman or not, but he's gonna pay for what he did to Kagome."

"We have to help him," Kagome said firmly.

"Yes. We must." Surprised, she turned to look at Shi, but the pregnant youkai wasn't speaking to her. Instead she was giving Inuyasha's father a look that seemed to be asking something, but she couldn't define what.

"No," he said at last, glancing away from the appeal in Shi's eyes. "Sesshomaru wouldn't want our help, Shi. Trust me on this, I know the boy and while I don't know what he's up against…"

A new voice interrupted him, strident and hard. "You're lying, lord Daimyo," Naota said, his tone as brittle as the long years that had separated him from his family. "You know exactly what has been stalking this forest."

"Naota," Inutaisho whispered and for the first time, Kagome thought he looked ashamed.

Stepping from the trees, Inuyasha's cousin only had eyes for his uncle. Kagome heard Inuyasha inhale suddenly, sniffing the air and she knew that he hadn't sensed Naota's approach. In contrast, Inutaisho's face had become a stone mask and she was able to see his resemblance to his eldest son in the look of cool disdain that fell over his features. Grimly, he faced his nephew, the man who had thrown away everything to protect what Inutaisho had left behind.

"Why is he lying?" Kagome whispered as Inuyasha's fingers tightened on hers.

"Because there's no way he couldn't have felt it," Inuyasha muttered, his face looking suddenly old and tired. "No way in hell…why else would he have come back now?"

"Not just for that," Inutaisho answered, his voice as smooth as frozen glass. "If Sesshomaru fails to destroy him, I will do what needs to be done."

"That's not gonna save Sango!" Inuyasha shouted.

Naota hadn't taken his eyes from Inutaisho or he might not have heard Inuyasha at all. "Are you done lying to them? Or are you going to keep up this pretense for another century? Tell them!"

Old pain crossed Inutaisho's face and Shi murmured something, touching his hand as if encouraging him. He sighed heavily and turned to look at Inuyasha and Kagome.

"It's my fault he's come back," Inutaisho said simply. "I executed him…for the monster that he was. But death wouldn't satisfy my hatred, as I found out too many years later. I used Tenseiga to resurrect his dismembered corpse, and sealed it under a mountain so that he would be conscious and suffering until the end of time."

"That's…insane," Kagome whispered. "Tenseiga wouldn't allow such an abominable…"

Quietly, Inutaisho held out his hands and they shimmered briefly. Then, like the painful growth of a diseased plant, markings appeared and spread out from his palms. The black stains wrapped around his wrists, writhing like snakes up his arms, across the front of his shoulders to form a pattern on his chest.

Naota moved closer, resting his hand briefly on Inuyasha's shoulder before he went to stand in front of his uncle. Some of the marks looked more like symbols, ancient and forgotten writing. He barely recognized any of them, but they seemed to be burned into Inutaisho's skin.

Cautiously, he touched one of the marks and saw it shift and move as if something alive. His eyes narrowed and he shifted his gaze to his uncle's unconcerned face. "These look like the markings of the dragon clan," he said softly, almost hesitant. "I thought they were all…destroyed."

"And I was the one who destroyed them," Inutaisho answered readily. "For that power and for my revenge, I have paid dearly. By leaving when I did, I at least managed to keep this curse to myself…and not having my sons pay as I have."

Naota's mouth twitched. "So you eliminated them and stole the secrets they guarded. And then you poisoned yourself by misusing both Tessaiga and Tenseiga, leaving them powerless in your hands. That's why you left your swords behind and that's why you faked your own death. To escape…"

Smiling bitterly, Inutaisho reached out and embraced the nephew who had been as close as his son. "Sometimes you need to throw away everything, lose everything, before you can humble yourself enough to learn from your mistakes.

"I only hope it isn't too late for Sesshomaru to learn from his."

oOo


	50. Fifty

_**Chapter Fifty**_

It hurt to breathe.

Each inhalation became sordid agony within his chest, each exhalation like the point of a knife between his ribs. Bones were cracked, punching their angry sharp edges into his slowly weakening flesh. Lacerations marked his body, some clotted with rust-colored blood, others still bleeding fresh crimson.

Unrelenting, unstoppable, and unavoidable blows had crushed the left side of his face. It had been a long time since he'd tasted this much of his own blood, and a long time since mere physical pain had been enough to make him fall to his knees and retch.

Sesshomaru was dying.

He'd attacked the monster with everything he had, too furious over Sango's death to be rational. A bad mistake and one he'd not likely have opportunity to make again. Now, face down in the dirt and pride a distant memory, he wondered if it would have made any difference at all.

Probably not. But he did not intend to die like this, helpless and driven to his end by a bastard more powerful. He wanted to die on his feet, still fighting and still trying to inflict whatever damage he could. But it wasn't his pride that made him hold fast to this resolution, and it wasn't fury or revenge.

It wasn't even regret…although he'd had enough of that by now to recognize its salty taste in his mouth.

Sesshomaru didn't believe in an afterlife, such notions were fit for superstitious peasants and weak-minded fools. He neither embraced the idea of redemption nor rejected it, just as he would never quite trust foreign concepts such as enlightenment. He had no use for such things, and deity was only seen as an expression of nature in a more tangible form.

River gods and forest sprites did not challenge a daiyoukai, and Sesshomaru had always looked on with a sneer of superiority at the little shrines and grottos that were dedicated in their honor. His existence, however lengthy, was also finite and measured out by each drop of blood that splashed the ground.

Staggering, he managed to get to his feet and faced his opponent with what might have looked like pride. It was not. It was not pride at all and anyone who knew him well, and there had been few enough, would have known that it was not pride.

It was grief. And deep within what had been a coldly dispassionate heart, Sesshomaru who did not believe in an afterlife knew that most humans did. And if his beloved Sango was looking at him now from across the unknowable chasm that separates the living from the dead, he wanted her to see this.

He wanted her to see him give his life for her. It was the last thing, the only thing that he could give for her now. It would have to be enough.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes for just a moment, the space between heartbeats, but long enough to remember everything about Sango.

"Giving up?" a dark voice drawled.

He opened his eyes. "No."

"Good," the voice hissed. "Let's make it interesting." There was a dark flash and Sesshomaru found himself staring into the monster's face, just inches from his own. A hand that felt like iron gripped his hair and twisted viciously. He wouldn't, not even in death, give the bastard the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

"Proud one, aren't you?" the elder demon muttered, trying to force Sesshomaru to his knees by using the tearing pain in his scalp for leverage. "Fought like you had something to prove, like you had a chance. I like that about you, boy. Beg for me now, I might just let you live."

The dark creature smiled, his teeth sharp and black against the ruby violence of his mouth. Startling almost, the deathly pallor of his skin and the brutal darkness of his hair and eyes. Sesshomaru found himself to be unbearably calm at the moment. His shoulder had been dislocated some time ago and he could barely even raise his arm anymore.

But he'd die on his feet…and never beg for anyone's mercy!

Instead he let his eyes blaze with fury, his lips only curling slightly in disgust. "Pathetic thing," he whispered, words now soft as snow. "I can see you now for what you are, a shell, a desperate beast who attacks out of madness and misery."

The hand in his hair tightened and Sesshomaru let his body sag slightly, forcing his opponent to take the weight of his body. A little more…he might be able to pull him down if the bastard dropped his guard. He had been overwhelmed by anger; he wasn't using his brain in this fight. He'd forced a physical confrontation against something that didn't have physical weakness. No, that body was long since dead and each pulse of deep, corrosive energy made him even more certain of what he was facing.

Not a ghost, and not the walking dead. Something that had been vicious enough in life, become even more hateful in death…more an expression of perfect corruption. The beast stank right down to its soul and for all the years of separation and distrust, decades of anger, Sesshomaru found himself thinking about his father.

And felt pity for the living hell he must have endured at the hands of this monster.

Something must have glittered in his eyes; perhaps his opponent sensed his distraction. Or maybe it was just madness, winding its way through time and instinct, once again binding together grandsire and grandson as one prepared to die at the hands of the other.

"Who are you?" the dark beast whispered, staring at Sesshomaru as if seeing him for the first time. Not as just as a rival, Sango's lover and the man who had the heart of a woman he'd wanted, but really seeing him. Fingers twisted in white hair, eyes black as pitch stared into gold. And the scent of Sesshomaru's blood surrounded them like a heavy veil, a scarlet mist that tasted far too familiar for even madness to be comfortable.

"Answer me!"

"Why?" Sesshomaru husked, his voice like dust in his throat. "Do I remind of someone? Have you forgotten everything that you were before your death? Or is it only that pathetic, miserable death itself that you can't stand to remember?"

Sesshomaru ground his teeth, feeling claws slice into his chest. He shuddered, but refused to cry out or scream. His lips thinned as his jaw clenched against the pain, and focused with all the will his father had taught him. Hanging like a limp rag from the mouth of death itself, Sesshomaru was just waiting for an opportunity.

_Catch the bastard off guard_…

"You died beaten," Sesshomaru whispered. "And the man who killed you had nothing but contempt for all of your miserable life. He beat you, butchered your filthy carcass, but you weren't even worth the crows. Ran you through with his blade, hacked off your head, then buried your corpse beneath a mountain. Erased your existence so that no one, particularly himself, would have to suffer the memory of a bastard like you."

"How do you know this?" Insanity was like black flames in his eyes and the cold hand that held Sesshomaru by his hair was starting to shake. When he didn't get an answer, the dark youkai growled and flung Sesshomaru hard to the ground and kicked him viciously.

"Tell me!"

Rolling on his back, Sesshomaru smiled faintly as blood ran from his lips. If he had the strength to get to his feet, he would have done so. If he could have lifted his sword, struck with his claws, poisoned or lashed the air with his toxic youki, he would have done so. But without resources and hearing his breathing grow ever shallower, and his own heartbeat starting to falter, he could do little more than smile up at his executioner.

"Look at me," he murmured. "Do I not look familiar now? My hair, my eyes, even the scent of my blood is itching at your brain. Like the teeth of a thousand rats, it will gnaw at you until you guess who I am. But by then it will be too late and whatever grip you've managed to hold on this world will slip between your fingers."

_Come closer, grandfather, I want to take you back to hell_…

Sesshomaru heard a soft thud and realized his opponent was kneeling beside him. Rough hands pulled him upright, supporting him as the deadly creature who had been driven insane centuries earlier stared into his face. Calmly, as if his own death bored him to tears, Sesshomaru waited for his bastard grandfather to beg.

"I have to know," his voice sounded like he was pleading for forgiveness. "Your face, I can't remember…but your eyes…" There was a long pause and Sesshomaru kept silent. It was more torturous than the pain of his wounds, lying passive and numb. He wouldn't have victory today.

But he might have revenge.

"My son had eyes like yours," the dark, miserable monster whispered. "My lost son, the one I've been searching for…how do you know of my son?"

Sesshomaru's lips moved, but no sound broke from them. He was too weak, it was too late and silent pain wracked the monster's body at the thought of being so close to the truth…and having it slip away once again. Tenderly, he raised the dying youkai against his chest, his face so close that Sesshomaru's last breath might kiss his ravaged cheek.

"Your son…was the one who destroyed you."

Memories slashed through his mind, each one tearing deep gashes out of the black void of nothing. A white-haired child running away from him in terror. A young boy trying to defend himself as heavy, drunken blows blackened his face with bruises. A man now, his son screamed at him with wild and frantic hatred, furious over some vile act of depravity. He could almost hear his own laughter and the sick pitch of his heart when the boy become a man raised a glowing sword…

"My…son," he whispered. "He was…"

"My father," Sesshomaru hissed. "And I am here to take you back to hell, monster!" Surging forward, he sank his fangs deeply into his grandfather's throat. Sesshomaru felt the other youkai try to pull back and growled as he kept his jaw clenched tight. Foul flesh and thick, rank blood ran between his lips and he shoved forward with his last strength to topple his stunned opponent.

_Sango_…his heart was crying out for her…for the child they'd almost had, the love they'd tried to share. Sesshomaru closed his eyes. Ignoring vicious curses and the desperate struggles of the demon under him, he concentrated on slowly tearing his grandfather's throat to shreds.

oOo

"Have you decided to leave us then, houshi-sama?"

Smiling, the monk turned and offered Jano his hand. "My friends are still out there," he said, his mild voice belying the worry in his eyes. "As comfortable your people have tried to make me, I can't wait here any longer."

Jano leaned close. "Just how comfortable did Aiko make you last night?" he asked with a knowing grin.

Of a like mind, the monk didn't even blush. "Very," he answered with a light smile. "And gave me the promise of making me much, much more comfortable in the future…as long as I return alive."

"That might be the trick," Jano said soberly, the grin fading from his eyes as he rubbed one hand over his stomach. The wound had healed, healed astonishingly fast in fact. Makiko was certain that it had something to do with the herbs that Naota had packed the injury with. It seemed that Sesshomaru's wayward cousin knew things that the fortress healers would give dearly to know.

"Don't worry, Jano-san," Miroku said evenly. "I might be only a human, but I can handle myself. Trust me, I will not return without San…that is…my friends."

Jano didn't miss the way that Miroku avoided speaking Sango's name, or the echo of an unrequited love in the young man's voice. _A sad thing_, he thought, _to be happy with one woman and still in love with another_. Equally sad when the one who was loved only had eyes for another, and more painful still to know that Miroku would always stand on the outside of that love.

_It would certainly complicate their friendship_, Jano thought. If both the exterminator and the monk were to return alive, which he still hoped was possible. If anyone other than Sessh had gone after that monster, Jano wouldn't have given them a chance in hell. Since it was Sessh…even the chances of hell would have to be careful of their fates.

"We should all be mindful of our fate," a soft voice intoned, soft but with enough weight behind it to make both Miroku and Jano jump. Barou moved so quietly that he was almost a ghost himself. His smooth face, nearly a mirror of Sesshomaru's, displayed no emotion. Only stoic acceptance of whatever would come.

"Do you have to sneak around like that?" Jano muttered. Embarrassing enough that he'd jumped, but the sudden twitch had made the newly healed muscles of his midsection ache. "Always a damned spy…"

Barou ignored him. "Are you going to pursue Sesshomaru-sama?" he asked Miroku, his storm-gray eyes placid as a windless sea.

Miroku nodded once, and then smiled when Kirara let out a loud purr as she rubbed against his ankles. She meowed worriedly when he lifted her, stroking the kitten's ears. "We'll follow whatever path Sesshomaru and Inuyasha took, hopefully we'll pick up their trail along the way."

"It wasn't your direction I was inquiring about. I asked if you intended to pursue him…" Barou's voice broke off and he suddenly stared upwards, a rare expression of utter shock on his face as he scanned the sky. A heavy, dark cloud had appeared from nowhere, silver flashes of lightning charged the air with an unfamiliar potency.

"It…it can't be," Barou muttered, looking more frightened and flustered than Jano had ever seen him. He might not like the man, but over many years he'd come to respect his instinct for danger. Jano stiffened, the twinge around his middle reminding him that he was not ready for any kind of serious combat.

"What is it?" he said harshly, glaring at Barou. "Should I call the guards, is it an attack?"

Miroku's forehead wrinkled as he followed Barou's gaze. "It's not Naraku," he muttered. "But it is a youkai presence…very strong…wild even."

Then from above, a sound that made Jano and Barou's blood run cold and set the hair on Miroku's neck standing straight up. It was a harsh echoing scream, like that of a beast being tortured to madness. Kirara hissed, springing from Miroku's arms to transform into her larger youkai self. Her fur was standing on end as if she'd become charged with electricity and her eyes glinted furiously.

"What the hell?" Jano muttered. "It sounded almost like…"

"Get out of the way!" Barou's shout rang against the stones of the courtyard and Jano cursed as the youkai lord grabbed his arm and dragged him forcefully towards the nearest wall.

"Goddamnit! That hurt, you spying little shit!"

A rush of energy suddenly flattened all three men against the wall. Miroku was already pulling _ofuda_ from his robes while Jano swore furiously as Barou kept him from charging towards the gates to call the duty guards. There was suddenly a lot of smoke in the air, enough to make his eyes water. And having been attacked and nearly killed not three days earlier, Jano was ready for a little payback on whatever had invaded Sesshomaru's fortress.

"Dear gods," Miroku cried out when the smoke lifted. "What is that thing?"

That thing seemed to be half horse and half visitation from hell. It struck the ground angrily with silver hooves, leaving long gouge marks in the ancient stone. Its midnight-black coat glinted in the pallid morning sun, the long silver mane and tail whipping the air like a brush fire as it glowered challenges to every living thing in sight.

Kirara yowled and the war stallion trumpeted an answering fury. Then stood stock still, watching the big cat with glowing eyes, but making no move of aggression as a small, slender, green-skirted figure slid from its back.

"Kagome!" Jano and Miroku both shouted at once.

The girl staggered a bit and rubbed her ears. "He's just so loud," she murmured as they ran to meet her. "It really hurt my ears…"

She swayed a bit and Jano caught her by the shoulders. "Jano-san," she said, her face brightening considerably. "I'm so happy you're alive!"

"I told you he was," Naota muttered, staring down at them from the tall charger's back. He held an unconscious Kohaku in his arms and let Miroku and Barou help them both down. The boy's face was so pale that his skin seemed translucent, as if by every breath it was growing less substantial. As Naota cradled him carefully, Barou's expression grew more worried.

"He's near death," Barou whispered, reaching out to touch Kohaku's forehead. "Where's Sesshomaru, this child needs to be near him and Tenseiga. It almost feels like his soul is being torn from his body."

"That's exactly what's wrong," Naota said, biting off each word like a curse. "Those bastards did something to him, it's as if he has no will of his own, like something inside is telling him to die."

Miroku snarled an obscenity under his breath before turning to Kagome. "Was it Naraku?" he demanded. "Kohaku ran off, but you and Sango followed him."

Tearfully, Kagome nodded. "He did something to Kohaku, he forced him to bring the last shard to them." At Miroku's hiss of anger, she grabbed his arm. "He seemed to come out of it a bit when we escaped, but I thought we should hurry back here in case…in case he didn't…"

Miroku turned to look at the tiny woman still seated on the massive horse. Her dark eyes met his and he found himself nodding respectfully before offering her his hand to help her dismount. There was a powerful aura surrounding her, a strength of youki that commanded others to do her will.

"My lady," he murmured.

Her small face tilted slightly in acknowledgment. "Is Sesshomaru here?" she asked quietly. "I wish to see him."

"No," the monk answered, turning to glance at Kagome. "He's not with you?"

Her eyes widened. "He's not here?" she said, looking wildly over at Jano. "Sesshomaru and Sango…they didn't come back yet?"

"Kagome," Naota said, his tone hard. "We need to take care of Kohaku now, there's nothing we can do about Sessh. If he's not here, we have to find a way to heal this boy or trust me, he is going to die."

"Not yet," Barou murmured. His eyes were unfocused as he rested his hand over Kohaku's heart. "There is a darkness in this child's soul, something wicked that is drawing him towards death. He is still fighting it…deep inside, he is fighting the compulsion to destroy himself."

"Can you do anything?" Jano asked. He grabbed Barou's shoulder, forcing him to come back from his distant vision. "Can you help Kohaku?"

The clanlord nodded slowly and then reached out to touch Kagome's arm. "If this priestess is willing to aid a youkai."

"Of course she will," Shi said briskly. "Inside with the boy, Naota. And be quick about it. You," she said, gesturing at Barou. "If you have some talent at mending broken souls, you must be much valued by Sesshomaru. I will come with you to observe while these servants make my Nashi-chan comfortable."

"Did she just call me a servant?" Jano asked, leaning towards Miroku.

The monk grinned. "Perhaps if you told her you were Sesshomaru's servant…"

Jano shook his head and stared up at the imposing demon-horse. "I suppose you remember the way to the stables," he said tartly, pointing as if the beast could understand him. "What you're doing here though…I can't guess."

The horse whickered softly as pink drool slid from his tusks to sizzle on the ground. Jano sidestepped the pool of slobber before daring to rest his hand on the beast's flank. "Kuchinashi," he murmured. "I never expected that you were still alive, let alone serving another master…or mistress as it seems."

"Kagome," Miroku called out as the girl headed towards the stone staircase, just a few steps behind the strange Shi who looked as if she expected to take over the fortress in Sesshomaru's absence. "Where is Inuyasha? He left here with Sesshomaru and Naota two mornings ago…"

"Oh!" Kagome spun around, staring at the gate. She suddenly blushed dark red and stammered a bit. "He's…he's right outside the gate. I…almost forgot that he…I mean, they…oh, they're still fighting!"

"Fighting?" Miroku glanced at Jano, who shrugged.

Jano nodded in the direction of the fortress' entrance. "I can't stand the suspense," the tall inuyoukai confessed with a grin.

Together they headed for the heavy gates, Jano shouting out orders to open it and cursing inventively when the guards didn't move fast enough for his liking. Miroku privately wondered if the swearing and abuse was just a sign of affection. Jano's men seemed to respect him, but they obviously weren't terrified that he was going to char them to the ground if they didn't obey.

Sesshomaru…on the other hand…was probably a different story.

The huge doors creaked open slowly as the ancient mechanism moved inside the gates. Unlike the fortress walls, they were made of heavy wood bound in iron casings, three feet thick and almost as dense as stone. Why hadn't Inuyasha come inside with the rest? That beast horse could have certainly carried another rider, unless Inuyasha didn't trust it. No, that wasn't it or he'd have never allowed Kagome to ride on its back.

Come to think of it, why had Kagome ridden the horse inside of letting Inuyasha carry her? In any case, Miroku was relieved to have them back. If Inuyasha and Naota had found Kagome and Kohaku, that meant that Sesshomaru must have also been successful in rescuing Sango.

He supposed he could think of several reasons why the exterminator and daiyoukai might have been delayed…a passionate reunion, for instance. Miroku found the thought didn't sting as much as he would have expected. But…Sango never would have gone off with Sesshomaru if she knew Kohaku was in danger.

And to give the youkai credit, Miroku didn't think that Sesshomaru would have abandoned the boy either. He'd used his sword to free Kohaku and had since seemed intensely protective of the boy's welfare. Not quite as intense or protective as he'd been over Kohaku's sister, but enough to convince Miroku that even Sesshomaru wouldn't just let the boy die without trying to help.

"Move your ass, you worthless old bastard!"

Miroku stopped, staring at the unlikely sight before him. He heard a low chuckle from Jano and fought to keep himself from laughing as well. Kagome had said Inuyasha was still fighting…but this wasn't what he'd expected.

A large dog with shaggy gray fur was hunched on the ground, its four legs braced as Inuyasha pulled and yanked at its long tail. The dog was growling, teeth bared and threatening as Inuyasha cursed and heaved at the animal's backside. Abandoning the tail, Inuyasha dug his claws into the thick fur and tried to bodily drag the animal toward the fortress.

"Miserable asshole, you're going inside! I'm not gonna go in there and try to explain to all those fuckheads about you. I'm sick of cleaning up your fucking messes, you ugly gray shit!"

"That's unkind," Jano said cheerily, watching an unstoppable force do battle with an immovable dog. "For being half dog-demon himself, you'd think he'd spare a little more respect for the creature."

"You'd think," Miroku agreed, shaking his head. Inuyasha snarled when the dog suddenly turned on him, snapping viciously at his hands and legs until Inuyasha had to spring away or be bitten. Then it hunkered down, belly on the ground but Miroku thought there was something decidedly not submissive in that position.

No, the animal wasn't cowering; it was just making it as difficult as possible for the hanyou to get leverage on him. Inuyasha grabbed at the dog's floppy ears, snatched his hand back just in time to avoid the teeth and circled around the growling beast once again.

"Oh, you just think you're one smart bastard," the hanyou said disgustedly as the dog curled its tail under its rump. To Miroku's surprise, the dog seemed to be laughing, short pants with a grinning mouth, and long tongue extended as the dark eyes watched Inuyasha with shrewd intelligence.

Inuyasha suddenly ducked and shoved at the dog's behind, obviously hoping to catch him off guard. He heaved and swore again, pushing until the back legs came up off the ground even as the front claws dug deeper into the earth. Just as his hanyou friend managed to pick up the rear portion of the dog, the animal suddenly surged forward, kicking Inuyasha in the face and flopping over with a decidedly doggish smirk.

"That's how it is, eh?" Inuyasha's expression was almost maniacal by now, his eyes bright and glittering. "Ain't going in, just gonna run away from it like before? Let me tell you, I don't give a rat's ass about what your reasons were. You're a fucking coward and I'm fucking embarrassed to be related to a fucking coward!"

The dog's hackles raised at the insult, teeth gleaming as he glared at Inuyasha. Slowly, the hanyou drew Tessaiga and the blade pulsed to life with a throb of power. The dog's eyes narrowed and his ears went flat against his skull.

"Inuyasha," Miroku called out, "you aren't going to use the sword on a…"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snarled viciously, not taking his eyes from his prey. "Oh yeah, I believe that it won't let itself be used against you, bastard. Don't worry, I wouldn't waste Kaze no Kizu on a cowardly shit like you."

Inuyasha smiled unpleasantly, raising the sword so that the flat of the blade was parallel to the dog's body. He swung hard and fast, the blade connecting suddenly against the dog's rump with a resounding smack! The dog yelped, scrambling away as Inuyasha tried to swing again.

"How's that feel?" the hanyou shouted. "Not as bad as being abandoned by my own father! Not as bad as being shunned by my brother, or being left on my own after my mother died! You wanna talk about some pain, I'll show you some pain, great general of the dogs, my _ASS!_"

The dog yelped again as Inuyasha made contact, chasing it towards the open gate. "You get in there and face up to what you did!"

"Inuyasha," Miroku shouted, distracting the hanyou as the dog bolted towards the fortress. "What the hell are you doing?"

He swung around, glaring at the monk. Grumbling a bit, he sheathed Tessaiga as he kept his eyes on the gate, expecting to see the dog make an escape. Jano was still staring at the gate as well, his mouth hanging slightly open.

"Was…Inuyasha, was that really…" Jano murmured, stunned and completely bewildered.

"Yeah, it's him," Inuyasha snapped. He glanced up and noticed Jano's shocked look. "It's a long story, but yeah…he's back."

"First Kuchinashi, now him," the inuyoukai said, shaking his head. "Where's Sesshomaru? Does he know about it?"

Inuyasha stopped, suddenly not angry anymore. "He's not back? I would have thought he'd have made it here by now. What about Sango?"

"She's not here," Jano said quietly, glancing at Miroku's silent face. "Look, that thing out there…"

"It's still got her," Inuyasha said grimly. "Kagome said…shit. Kagome said that bastard that attacked you…he attacked them too. But he turned Naraku's demons against him and used the confusion to free her and Kohaku. She said he did it for Sango…so she'd belong to him."

"Belong to him?" Revulsion filled Jano's voice and his hands curled into fists. "You're saying Sango traded herself to that…that foul thing…for Kagome and Kohaku's freedom? I can't believe it!"

"You'd better. He wanted her for himself, and it was worth turning on Naraku just for her. Sesshomaru went after them." Inuyasha's expression drained of anger and suddenly he looked tired and sad.

Jano grit his teeth and tried to keep himself from shaking. That monster, that filthy, corrupt, evil monster…

"Sango's strong, she's about as strong as any human woman I've ever known…but if that thing forces himself on her…she might die of it." Jano's voice was bleak. "Sesshomaru will kill himself getting to her, kill himself trying to get revenge if she's been hurt. And if it's too late…and she's too badly hurt…he'll take care of that too."

"He'd die for her." Jano was surprised to hear the conviction in Inuyasha's tone. "I wasn't sure about it before, I thought he might just be fucking with Sango for his own reasons. But I saw his face when he found out…what that bastard really is and what he wants to do to Sango. He'll die before he'll stop fighting for her."

"We have to help somehow," Jano said, burning to go after Sesshomaru now. They'd been friends for too long, seen each other suffer too much over so many years. If the worst had happened, Jano couldn't stand the thought. They both deserved better…and deserved someone to take vengeance if they weren't able to take it themselves.

"Miroku," he said, turning towards the monk. "Let's get some men together, start a search party, we can cover more ground…"

Inuyasha's hand fell on Jano's shoulder and they both looked up at the same time, watching the blue sky with an empty, sinking feeling in their hearts.

Miroku and Kirara were already gone.

oOo

She could feel the weight of it on her chest, heaviness, pressure that kept her immobile and stole any hope from her heart. Her eyes, her mouth, they were filled with black water. She could neither see nor breathe; instead Sango found herself lying like a stone at the bottom of a deep and dark sea.

_My baby_…

She tried to move, one hand wanted to wrap over her belly, the other itched to have a weapon. Sango thought wistfully of Hiraikotsu, now shattered into a thousand pieces and wondered when she'd have the time to find and fix it. There was never any question of her abandoning the weapon; it had become a part of her.

Like her own bones.

Like her own skin.

Like her love for Sesshomaru, carved deep into the body and soul of her. It wasn't something she could give up…not for anything.

So what was she doing here, encased in black glass like a fell doll, a mere toy for some child and only waiting to be picked up and made to live once again.

_Did I…die?_

_No_, her mind stubbornly told her. _You are not dead; you are still here and part of this world. He isn't going to let you go so easily_.

And she shivered, even though she couldn't move, she shivered at the thought. She'd seen into his mind and knew that when he was done, she wouldn't remember herself anymore. She'd become as twisted and mad as he, filled with dark desires, obscene lusts and pain. Her baby…Sesshomaru's child…would grow up knowing only her mother's madness, and nothing of her father's love. Almost she could see the future and wished again for the blackness to swallow her so deeply that she might never wake.

_No…not now!_

Sango felt a stinging pain, a hard pulse from somewhere in her body. She felt numb all over, aching with numbness, the lack of sensation more agonizing that she would have ever believed. She believed it now, and was caught again by a hot pulse, centered now below her navel and above her pubic bone.

_Oh please no…she was losing the baby!_

Sango started to sob, even though she couldn't move or draw a breath, she was crying with all of her being. The warmth felt like blood, pouring out from her belly, over her chest, from between her legs. But it was too hot, too demanding, to be only blood. Strangely, she felt her numb cheeks streak with sudden warmth and gasped…drawing a breath.

And another…

Sango wanted to shout, her emotions swinging wildly from despair to hope as she found herself breathing, really breathing, and she felt her chest rise and fall with each breath. There, under her skin, the warmth of blood in her veins and her toes started to tingle as if tiny fingers were tickling her feet. Carefully, she lifted her hand and felt her stomach. Nothing, no stickiness, no pain, no wound.

Even the darkness was lifting, her eyes had been open the whole time, and she could make out the living world in tones of muted grays and green. The green turned out to be the leaves overhead, and the gray cleared until she could make out the bright blue sky as the sun lifted over the trees.

She was alive. Somehow he'd pushed her right into the arms of death and held her there like a fly caught in amber, a living woman frozen in a cave of black ice. Sango wanted to giggle, pure reaction to finding herself alive, her baby safe, and moved her body slowly, trying to sit up.

Around her…devastation.

The earth was blasted; she could see great scars where youki had ripped all life from the forest floor. The trees surrounding them were shattered; she was lying far to the side, as if left there on purpose and out of the fight. Trembling, she forced herself to her feet and nearly stumbled when she tripped over a sword hilt.

It was Tenseiga, wedged deeply in the ground as if thrown by a mighty force. Wincing, she managed to drag the blade from its earthy sheath. If Tenseiga was here, Sesshomaru must be nearby and she stumbled again, and used his sword as crutch to find her way to him.

Only a few steps and she saw the outcome of a war that had been waged…a war where she herself must have been the prize. Her captor, the dark monster who had terrorized and tormented her, tried to break her spirit and her love, was lying sprawled on his back. Both of his arms were outstretched and palms up as if in supplication. His face, pale and dead white, ravaged with so many scars it was heartbreaking…even for a monster. Sango swallowed hard as she looked at his wide-open eyes, obsidian and giving the appearance of black flames.

Dark blood guttered around him, his throat torn apart; claw marks all down his chest. The exterminator in her viewed him distantly, professionally and she noted the way the flesh had been shredded, gnawed. The gouges continued from his throat to the midsection of his chest, carving into the heavy pectoral muscles, even separating them from his breastbone…as if something had been feeding on him, tearing him apart with a kind of savagery that made her sick.

It had been trying to get to his heart, the claw and teeth marks frantic but shallower, as if the creature attacking had been losing its strength, but propelled on by nothing less that pure hatred.

Backing away from him, Sango's mouth filled with bile. As glad as she was to be free of him, she couldn't help but feel pity at the same time. He'd let her see into his dark soul, forced her to see him for what he was, for what he had been. It hurt her now, thinking of that poor child in the distant past…a boy who'd never had any choice about his future.

Sango heard a soft moan, more of a growl really, and turned to look for the source. Then she saw him and wondered how she'd missed him when she'd first looked around the site of his battle. Sesshomaru was hunched over near the tree line, crouching with his back to her, but she couldn't mistake him…bloodstained and filthy, but hers.

"Sesshomaru," she called softly, her knees trembling and still dragging the tip of Tenseiga through the dirt. His shoulders jerked, his torn sleeves fluttering a bit in the light morning breeze. She forced herself to swallow against a dry throat as she approached her lover. The baby inside her had a youkai's instinct…and warned her to be wary.

But her heart was human and she couldn't have kept her distance if she'd tried. The closer she got, the more she saw of his terrible injuries. His hair, once so sleek and shining, was matted with blood and lie across his shoulders like shredded silk. Blood stained his body too; the pristine white of his flowing kimono was dark with filth. Still, he was not only the survivor of a terrible battle; he was its victor as well.

And if he was badly injured, Sango swore, she'd nurse him back to health with her own hands.

"Sesshomaru…my love," she whispered, reaching for him. He turned towards her and she saw the glint of crimson in his eyes.

She flung herself to the side as he struck at her, a wild, desperate lash of claws. Weak, he crouched on all fours and growled at her with feral anger. His face had half-transformed, the jaw elongated and the markings on his cheeks were darker and thicker. His eyes were fire; his fangs were sharp and still smeared with blood. Sango was shocked that he'd tried to hit her, bit her lip and knelt on the ground.

"It's me," she said, her voice just a soothing murmur. "It's Sango, don't you know me?"

He blinked at her, breathing hard and she saw his tongue flick over his teeth. "Trick…" he growled, sounding like he was grinding rocks in his throat. "A trick…"

"No," she whispered, approaching again. She kept her hands in front of her, the knuckles of one hand white around Tenseiga. "It's me, Sesshomaru. You came for me. It is not a trick."

Oh, her heart wanted to break for him. She'd never thought to see him like this, so torn and hurt, his instincts fighting with his heart to either accept her or tear her to bits. She realized he must have been too weak to transform fully and looking at the injuries on his body, she wondered that he'd been able to survive this long.

"She is dead," he husked. Sesshomaru blinked and some of the red fire in his gaze faded. "I could not save Sango…she was already dead."

Catching her breath, she felt a memory surface. Black water, pooling around her body. Death screaming at the back of her mind, watching as she rose from where the monster had left her. Her body, moving jerkily like a toy, swinging a heavy sword that was more of a cudgel than a blade…at…at…

"Oh, my love, forgive me," she said, tears already sliding down her cheeks. Shaking, she reached out her hand and flinched when he recoiled, seeing pain twist his features again. His hand, pale but stained with blood, reached towards her only to fall again and he closed his eyes.

"Dead," he said and this time there as a darkness in his voice that was final. "Dead and I could not raise her…I did not deserve her.

Silently, she pulled Tenseiga forward and dared to reach for his hand. She curled his fingers around the bare blade, cupping his cold hand with her own.

"That's where you're mistaken," she said, the words thick in her throat. "You did save me, because I could not die without seeing you again. It wasn't this sword, or any kind of magic. Just your love, more powerful than his spell could ever be."

Tenderly, she reached for him, touched his face. "I never gave up hope," she whispered, feeling the bones under his skin shift as he started to transform back into his usual appearance. Crimson seeped from his eyes, leaving them light as claret and troubled with the dark dreams of what had almost been.

"I could not bear to lose you," Sesshomaru murmured, staring into her eyes. "I resigned myself to death, and fought until there was nothing left. Because to live without you at my side would have been a meaningless life."

Sango put her arms around him, drawing him close until she felt his arm slide around her back, and the cold edge of Tenseiga pressed between her shoulder blades. He was hers, she belonged to him and nothing would ever tear them apart again.

"I love you," she breathed, her lips against his neck and she felt Sesshomaru shudder. "Stay for me, only for me. And I will never leave your side, I swear."

Two bodies huddled together, each aching for the other's hurts, and clinging to each other when their strength might have failed them. It would be some time before either could stir, too moved by emotion and weak with relief. As the sun lifted over the trees, the air around them warmed and became golden.

They would both survive.

And neither noticed, a few feet away, when a monster's fingers twitched at the warming of the sun, and slowly curled into a fist.

oOo


	51. FiftyOne

**A/N: So, how long has it been? Almost two years, damn. Anyway, I guess I kind of lost interest in the story for a bit. Sorry about that…I can't really do more than apologize at this point. And yeah, I revised this damn thing …again. I think I'm finally satisfied now and I'm not making any more changes.**

**Anyway, I hope to have this thing wrapped up pretty soon. I promise it will be finished, this one and all the others too. Until then, thanks for hanging in there!**

_**Chapter FiftyOne**_

The pain was a fine needle that stabbed her right in the middle of her forehead. What started as a pinching, annoying prickle had blossomed into a throbbing, pounding ache. It was quite distracting and she simply didn't have time for it.

The fortress had been in an uproar since morning and Makiko expected nothing less. She hadn't seen the…the horse…herself, but stories of its arrival were flying hot and heavy from the lowest wardroom to the top of the tallest tower. Although she hadn't heard tell of anyone being gruesomely dismembered as of yet, the stable staff were keeping a safe distance from their legendary, if infamous, guest.

Just how long Kuchinashi intended to stay, nobody knew. However, as stories of the late Daimyo's war stallion were as colorful as those of his former master, all of the breeding dragons had been evacuated the western courtyard

The morning had been full of mysteries, but as the afternoon started to lean towards early evening, Makiko became aware that everyone seemed to be taking the unusual events as a sign of a holiday. Most of the housekeeping staff was still in the kitchen, sitting shoulder to shoulder with members of the guard. The cooks, stewards, and other kitchen workers had pitched in and prepared food for the growing crowd, all without consulting the head of staff, and an air of decidedly festive occasion descended over the usually somber fortress of the West.

It was as if everyone was celebrating and Makiko was the only one left in the dark as to why.

It certainly wasn't because Kagome and Kohaku had returned. She'd take one look at the boy's ashen face and felt her throat go dry. Makiko considered herself to be an adequate healer, but she knew death when she saw it. Kohaku's eyes were glazed, his pupils contracted, and his breath rattled in his chest like pebbles tossed against stone.

There was nothing that she could do.

Luckily, Kohaku hadn't been damned by her lack of expertise. Makiko knew how to set bones and concoct poultices, leaving the more serious wounds and sickness to the few healers that specialized in such things. Inuyoukai were a hardy lot and the need for advanced knowledge in medicine was a rare occurrence.

Even if she had been an expert in more specialized healing techniques, she could do nothing to mend a broken soul. That was something that had to be left to priests and mystics.

Or in this case, a very young human priestess and a somewhat mystical and inscrutable inuyoukai clanlord.

Makiko shivered. She'd always respected Barou-sama, heard that he was a quiet, calm, and almost gentle personality among a race of temperamental and contentious inuyoukai. In fact, she'd rather admired him because of his air of placid acceptance; it was quite at odds with the blustering males of the fortress or even Sesshomaru-sama's cool and absolute authority.

Cousins supposedly related though their respective mothers and a mirror of everything elegant and superior in a youkai bloodline, it was no surprise that Barou-sama was highly respected by all.

Save one.

Jano detested Barou-sama with a passion bordering on outright hatred. That definitely made the clanlord more interesting. Add that to the rumor that he possessed the ability to read minds, had been a student of the late Daimyo, and Makiko was definitely curious about how he could help Kohaku.

Although why he needed the assistance of a mere human, a sweet girl to be sure, but still…

Watching closely, she couldn't say what they'd done. Kagome had simply held Kohaku, the boy's head resting in her lap. Barou-sama hadn't touched the boy at all except for a fingertip that had rested briefly on the child's forehead. She heard Kagome murmur something softly, heard Barou-sama's slow exhalation and…

Kohaku simply opened his eyes, confused and disoriented for a moment as if he had no idea how he'd come to be there. Kagome gently stroked his hair and asked him how he felt, if he was in any pain.

"No," the boy whispered. "Why…why is everyone staring at me?"

"You had a fever," Barou-sama said quietly, "but you're going to fine, Kohaku. Just rest for now, and let Makiko care for you."

"Has my sister returned?"

Kagome opened her mouth to answer, but Barou held up a hand to keep her from speaking. "Sesshomaru-sama has gone to fetch her," the clanlord said in a smooth tone. "She will soon be at your side."

Kohaku smiled faintly, his eyelids already drooping. "I'm so tired…"

Barou-sama nodded to Kagome and the girl gently eased Kohaku from her lap. Moving with exaggerated care, she tiptoed to the door as if her light steps could disturb the already sleeping boy. Gesturing to Makiko, the clanlord indicated that they should follow Kagome's example and let the boy rest.

Once outside though, the young woman sagged against the wall so suddenly that Makiko had to be quick to keep her from sliding to the floor. Kagome was exhausted and her body shook with bone-deep tremors. Stroking the girl's hair as she gently rocked her, Makiko turned a baffled look to Barou.

"Is Kohaku really going to be okay?" Kagome asked, tears streaking her pale face.

Barou frowned, meeting Makiko's concerned eyes. "I've blocked the memories of what happened and what was done to him," he said, looking thoughtful. "His body will recover now that you've purified the lingering effects of Naraku's poison."

A gentle smile crossed his face and he reached out to touch the girl's chin. "Kohaku isn't the only one who needs rest," he chided. "You've been through your own ordeal, Kagome."

Shivering, she clutched at Makiko's arms. "No, I should go to Inuyasha. He's still so angry and now that Kohaku's going to be all right, I should try to talk to him. Oh, and Shippou must be so worried about us. I need to find him right away, if he teases Inuyasha right now they'll just start fighting and I…"

Barou-sama's fingertip flicked up to brush Kagome's forehead and the girl's eyes glazed over, leaning heavily on Makiko's shoulder as the youkai woman steered her to the nearest room where a bed was waiting. Once the girl was settled, already sighing in her sleep, Makiko gave Barou-sama a sly grin.

"Useful trick that is, my lord."

He shrugged. "My wife says the same thing when our children refuse to go to sleep."

She didn't miss his slight sigh or Barou-sama's worried frown as they left Kagome to rest. Makiko knew that he wouldn't have said anything to distress the girl and also knew that he wouldn't lie if she asked him directly.

"Will Kohaku recover?" Makiko wasn't sure she could stand watching as the boy died slowly. It would have been kinder if he'd never awoken from his stupor if Sesshomaru-sama did not return.

The clanlord paused, glancing at Makiko over his shoulder. "Perhaps you are right," he said, answering her unspoken thoughts. "However, Kohaku's life or death is not something that you or I might have say over. His soul is bound to Tenseiga, bound to Sesshomaru. He may have lingered only because he was not given leave to die."

Confused, she bit her lip and stared up at him. Barou-sama's face was smooth as glass, completely void of expression. "Is there nothing we can do, my lord?"

"I believe not," Barou answered. Makiko thought she saw something flicker in his eyes, a glint of possibility. "That it is not within our power is true, but Kohaku is fortunate to not rely on our limitations."

"I don't see how…"

Turning, he laid a finger against Makiko's lips to silence her questions. "Not all is as it seems," he murmured, his eyes gone strangely unfocused once again. "I refuse to believe in coincidence, or that this child would be doomed. Be patient, Makiko-san. We must wait for Sesshomaru-sama's return."

With that, he left her standing alone in the passage.

oOo

Sango knelt beside the stream, washing her hands in the ice-cold water. It felt like days since she'd had a proper bath. She wanted nothing more than to duck her head in the stream and let the cold carry away all the filth. The fear, the pain, and the memory of his hands on her…those sensations weren't as tangible as ordinary dirt and layers of sweat. The coldest water or the harshest soap wouldn't be able to numb her body or cleanse her heart.

She resolved to keep moving, keep to the task at hand. So what if a large part of her just wanted to curl up in a ball and hide from the world? It wasn't going to do her or Sesshomaru any good to retreat inside her mind just so she could try to process the past few days.

Nodding her head decisively, she filled a small container with water. Thankfully she'd been able to find some of her gear. He must have stripped her pack before he cast the spell over her, she'd found it only a few feet from their last campsite. Even though kidnapped by an immortal monster, she was only a frail human and had needed the essentials of food and water.

Again, she wondered what he'd seen in her, desired from her. Her body? Her child? It baffled her now as it had terrified her then.

"There's nothing special about me," Sango muttered, getting to her feet and brushing the dirt off her knees. "So much trouble, was I worth dying for?"

She caught her breath…and stopped that thought in its tracks. The monster was dead, but she wasn't even going to consider that Sesshomaru might die as well.

He was unconscious, sliding from her grasp almost as soon as he'd been able to recognize her face. At first, she thought he only needed to rest, that his body would recuperate from the damage. Then, as the hours passed and he didn't so much as stir, she remembered things her father had taught her back when she was training to become an exterminator.

Youkai as powerful as Sesshomaru could expend immense energy in battle. Prolonged use of that power would weaken them; consume them like a lamp burning too brightly would consume more oil. Unlike humans who had to rely on their will and physical bodies in a fight, youkai were magical creatures. Their _youki_ was as much a part of their bodies as blood and bone, and once depleted past the point where they could recover on their own, they would die even if the physical body escaped life-threatening injuries.

_It explains a lot_, she thought as she returned to his side. Like how Inuyasha had always healed so quickly, or how Shippou could create illusions that seemed so real. Sesshomaru was able to wield his _youki_ as a weapon, with hardly more effort than a flick of his fingertips. He could transform his body, how could he not survive this?

Sighing, her heart fell when she saw that he hadn't moved from where she'd left him. Across the blasted clearing, the unnamed monster's corpse was a forbidding darkness and Sango couldn't bring herself to look in his direction for very long. When she thought about what he'd done to her, she had to bite back a scream because her body trembled with anger. Still, when she remembered that poor tormented child of so many years past, she had to fight back tears.

It was not a comfortable feeling to pity the one who had violated her.

So she forced those feelings to the side and sat down beside Sesshomaru. Moving with brisk efficiency, she tore a few shreds of cloth from her yukata and wet the material with the water she'd carried back. If she couldn't heal him, she could at least clean off the dirt and blood.

Carefully, she wiped his face, admiring again the ethereal beauty of his features. The sculpted cheekbones, the smooth line of his brow, even unconscious he was composed and regal. If she hadn't seen his hidden nature, she might have thought him to be as coldly perfect as a temple statue. Instead, she saw the sensual curve of his lips, knew intimately how warm and soft they would be to kiss.

Smiling sadly, she brushed his hair away from his face, letting her fingers caress the delicate tips of his ears. Traveling down the smooth skin of his throat, she gently bathed the scratches and gouges. Sango was grateful to discover that much of the blood was not his own, and then shuddered when she remembered the horrific wounds that he'd inflicted on her kidnapper.

So beautiful, so graceful…but behind those soft lips were the fangs of a demon, sharp and strong as steel. She'd seen him be cruel and violent. Arrogant too, with callous disregard for anyone weaker than himself, because among youkai the weak became prey. Only the strong survived, and only the strongest could dominate.

Then again, she'd seen the same behavior in human men. The lords and nobility that stepped over the poor, the wealthy merchants who turned blind eyes on the starving peasants. Greedy men, driven by desires and cowardice, she'd been brought up to despise them just as certainly as she'd been trained to kill demons.

"I don't think we're so different, you and I," Sango murmured, taking Sesshomaru's hand. She'd been swept away by his sudden passion that night that she'd offered her body in gratitude for Kohaku's life. It wasn't something she'd planned or had even dreamed herself capable of; it was only that he had moved her so deeply.

Somehow, she had moved him as well. Taking her had been a momentary whim, she was sure. If he'd never approached her again, she wouldn't have been surprised. What surprised her was the deep sensuality and tenderness she felt whenever he touched her. Inexperienced in such matters, she had expected him to use her quickly or humiliate her, not coax her body into breathless pleasure.

Not love her. Not sacrifice himself because living without out her would be meaningless. She had distrusted him and he had misjudged her, so they had both been at fault for not understanding the depth of each other's feelings.

Sango rested her hand on Sesshomaru's chest; the faint beat of his heart felt like a promise against her palm. Sliding down next to him, she thought his body felt too cold, stiff almost. In the back of her mind, she kept reviewing everything she knew about youkai, trying to think of something, anything, she could do.

She knew more about poisons than she knew about healing. Her father had spoken of restorative medicines, ancient techniques that were cultivated in order to better understand youkai. At the time, she didn't understand why they would bother. It was an exterminator's job to kill demons, not to heal them.

Now she wished that she'd paid more attention, since it was her lover and not an enemy whose life hung in the balance.

Exhausted by more than worry, she felt her eyelids drooping as she rested her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder. She wished that he'd wake, give her a condescending look and calmly announce that she'd worried herself half-sick for nothing. Of course he'd come for her, of course he would defeat the evil that had threatened his woman and child. Foolish of her to think otherwise when…

A rustle from the edge of the forest immediately had Sango on her feet, every nerve quivering with alertness. Something was approaching and she had no idea if it was a harmless animal or far worse. Like Naraku, who might still be hunting for his former ally and instrument of terror. Or worse, if Naraku only waited until he was certain that his opponents were dispatched of with efficiency and it was safe to investigate.

Chills ran down her spine at the thought. Naraku wouldn't pass on an opportunity to attack Sesshomaru while he was unconscious, not that vile bastard. She was alone, not defenseless, but still alone. Her friends were gone, her little brother, even Hiraikotsu was lost to her…the only weapon she had was a dull blade made from the fang of a long-dead inuyoukai, a blade that could not be used to kill.

Grimly, she clutched Tenseiga's hilt, holding the sheathed blade in front of her in a defensive stance. A blade that would not cut, a sword that would not kill, it was all she had left to defend what she held most dear. She'd swing it like a club if that's all she could do, but she'd be damned to hell herself before she'd let Naraku touch what belonged to her!

oOo

Cursing under her breath like a soldier, Makiko stormed her way through the lower passages. After her odd conversation with Barou-sama, she returned to the infirmary in hope of finding something to ease her distracting headache. What she found instead had transcended her pain with the full force of a raging storm and nearly blinded her more effectively than the worst migraine.

The key to the medicine storage was missing. Usually kept locked more to discourage anyone from accidentally poisoning themselves, the key's location was only known to a few. Trusted and experienced healers like herself, the captain of the household guard, and unfortunately, one other person.

She was going to kill her sister.

Makiko ground her teeth, trying to imagine any excuse that Aiko might have for such a stupid trick. Then she caught her breath, her eyes widening as she remembered her sister's newly discovered condition.

Could Aiko…why would Aiko want to end the pregnancy? Honestly, Makiko couldn't think of any reason…unless it had to do with that human monk.

"Sister? Were you looking for me?"

Makiko turned quickly on her heel, immediately searching the young woman's face for any sign of problems. She wasn't pale; her cheeks were rosy and her eyes bright. Aiko slowly set down the stack of linens she was carrying and met her sister's stare curiously.

"Do you have the key to the medicine storage?" Makiko asked in an even voice.

Aiko blinked. "Why would I…" Her cheeks darkened slightly as her hand slipped under her collar. "Oh, I am sorry," she said, holding out the key with a slight smile. "I forgot to put it back."

Snatching the key from Aiko's hand, Makiko's expression grew even more severe. "And?" she prompted when Aiko didn't offer any explanation.

"And what, sister?"

In general, Makiko disapproved of individuals who couldn't hold their tempers. She admired Sesshomaru-sama for his cool detachment, his absolute control over his emotions that set him so far above average inuyoukai who were inclined to become belligerent and settle disputes with their fists. His civilized manner was an example to them all, herself included.

Although right now, she was sorely tempted to slap some sense into her idiot of a sister.

She let the key dangle from her finger, hoping that Aiko would just realize she'd been caught already and confess. "Is there anything you need to tell me?"

"I don't think so." The girl's face was guileless, completely devoid of any subterfuge or excuse. Instead, Aiko was looking at her like she was the one who had secrets to hide.

"You must have had a reason for taking it," Makiko said, her eyes sparkling with irritation. "Did you have an illness that you couldn't tell me about?"

Her sister blinked, confused. "Why would I hide anything from you?"

Growling deep in her throat, Makiko's patience suddenly snapped like a twig caught in a violent gale. She grabbed Aiko by the arm and dragged her bodily down the corridor, swearing again with language she'd heard Jano use when he was especially annoyed with someone.

"You are lying," she said coldly, catching Aiko's shocked expression. "What was it? Did you change your mind about that human's baby or did he change it for you?"

Aiko stopped suddenly, planting her feet and wrenching her arm from her sister's grasp. "I already told you," the girl snapped, "Miroku is happy, we're both happy about having a child!"

Staring into her sister's eyes, Makiko had no choice but to believe her. "What did you need?"

"I didn't need anything!"

"Then why did you take the key?"

Flushing, Aiko looked away. "It was for Miroku," she confessed, finally looking guilty and embarrassed. Under her sister's severe stare, Aiko started to squirm. "He asked if I had access to medicine, he said he needed it in case Sango-sama was injured."

Makiko swore again, rubbing her forehead in frustration. She didn't believe that for one minute. Devious and charming, Miroku was far from stupid. She couldn't say the same about her sister. The same herbs that would heal a youkai's ailments might be poisonous to a human and she was damned sure that Miroku wouldn't take a risk like that with Sango's life. Unless…

"Let's go," she said, steering Aiko towards the infirmary with a firm hand. "Show me what sort of medicines that foolish monk thought were needed."

oOo

The small fire crackled cheerfully as it consumed the dry twigs of the tinder. The flames were bright and merry, lapping at the larger pieces of wood teasingly as the coals beneath started to glow. Setting a metal bowl at the edge of the fire, Sango carefully filled it with clean water and let her shoulders relax.

It was going to be all right. She was no longer alone.

She'd been ready to go to war herself, swinging a sheathed sword and holding back a battle cry behind her lips. After the past few days, the only thing she could think was that she was about to be attacked again. It had never occurred to her how much she'd come to depend on her friends. Inuyasha's nose and sense of danger often warned them of what was coming; Kagome's cheerful confidence drove away all her doubts. Even Shippou was dependable, ready to defend his companions with his fox magic or simply lighten their burdens with his silly jokes. She was truly lucky to have such friends on her side, including one that had become most dear.

Miroku only smiled when he emerged from the thick underbrush, a few twigs and leaves still clinging to his hair. Glancing around the clearing at the unmistakable signs of battle, he took in the devastated scene. His eyes lingered on Sesshomaru's unmoving figure, and then hardened as he caught sight of the blood-soaked corpse of her kidnapper.

"It seems that I missed the fight," he said mildly, reaching up to scratch Kirara's ears. "Formidable as usual, my dear Sango."

Sango choked back a laugh and slowly lowered Tenseiga. _Now would be the time to say something smart_, she thought, as her muscles started to tremble. Miroku never seemed to be at a loss for words, it was her that was always tongue-tangled at times like this. Too serious, too shy...he'd always had her at a disadvantage, just like now when she couldn't even speak to answer the warmth in his voice or the lines of worry etched on his face.

"Sango?" His voice sounded strained, anxious. "Sango, are you..."

She was suddenly aware that her face was wet, tears falling unnoticed as she shook with violent, silent sobs. Sesshomaru's sword dropped from her numb fingers with a clatter and Sango slowly collapsed to the ground. Honestly, she wanted to tell Miroku that she was fine, that she'd handled everything like a strong, confident woman should, but she couldn't get the words to come out as more than a pitiful, keening wail.

It should have been an awkward moment, but as if he'd never incurred Sesshomaru's wrath in the past, Miroku didn't hesitate. He dropped his staff, fell to his knees and pulled Sango into a tight embrace.

"Hush," he whispered into her hair, rocking her in his arms like a child. "It's going to be okay, Sango. I promise, it's going to be okay."

As she slowly pulled herself together, Miroku relaxed eased Sango back. Cupping her face between his hands, he used his thumbs to wipe her tear-stained cheeks. Her eyes were swollen, her nose red, and she used the back of her grubby fist to wipe it self-consciously. Endearing and childlike in this moment of vulnerability, he thought she'd never been so beautiful to his eyes.

"It seems like you always find me crying," she muttered, embarrassed by her emotional reaction.

He smiled at that, gave her hand a quick squeeze. "We were worried about you, Kirara and I," Miroku told her. "Kohaku is safe, Sango. Kagome too, Inuyasha brought them back to the fortress early this morning."

Her expression crumbled and Sango covered her face with her hands, breathing deeply as her shoulders shook. He sat quietly, waiting for her to absorb the news that Kagome and Kohaku were alive. Knowing her as well as he did, he knew that Sango must have been absolutely desperate to protect them. Even at the sacrifice of her own safety, Sango would have put her brother and Kagome first.

He cleared his throat. "I was scared that I'd find you too late."

She dragged her eyes up to his face, her smile bleak as a desert. "I'm alive," she said simply. He saw her hand curve protectively over her belly. "We're both alive," she said in a firmer voice, and Miroku was grateful to see the color return to her face.

"And…Sesshomaru?" Miroku hadn't missed that the daiyoukai wasn't moving, hadn't stirred when he'd comforted Sango.

"He's alive," she murmured, closing her eyes as if praying for her husband's recovery. "It…it must have been a terrible battle, but he survived."

Miroku glanced over her shoulder, across the clearing where he could see a form sprawled lifelessly in a pool of dark blood. "Sesshomaru lives and your attacker is defeated," he said thoughtfully. "A terrible battle certainly."

She dropped her eyes, wrapping her arms around her body and shivering as if a cold wind chilled her. "I didn't see it," Sango whispered. "I…was unconscious when Sesshomaru came for me."

Concerned, he didn't miss the slight shudder and the way her throat moved as if she were trying to keep from vomiting. His mouth went dry in sudden horror.

"Sango, he didn't…"

"Yeah," she said, still not looking at him. "At least I think he did. He had me under some kind of spell, I can't remember exactly what happened."

"Monster," Miroku whispered.

Sango's head came up, her expression hard as stone. "He was a monster," she said in a soft, fierce voice. "He was made to be that way, just as all monsters are made. No one would choose to be that way of their own will."

His eyes widened slightly and she sighed, her shoulders sagging again as she rubbed her eyes. "Don't look at me like that," Sango muttered. "I'm not defending him, Miroku. I just can't help that some part of me pities him even now. To be so monstrous, so hated and so full of hatred…he never had a choice to be anything but a monster."

Reflecting on her words, Miroku wasn't sure that he could spare any compassion for such a beast. Perhaps Sango, with her honesty even in face of her own abuse and terror, had been able to reach even a creature so corrupted by its own darkness.

He hadn't been able to protect her from this, but that didn't mean all he had to offer now was words to comfort her. Standing quickly, he held out his hand to help Sango to her feet. "I've brought some things from the fortress," he said, his tone still mild in spite of his outrage for what she'd suffered. "Let's take a look at that mate of yours. Since he nearly killed himself to save you, it would be a shame you weren't able to thank him properly."

oOo

"For the last time," Makiko said, her breath hissing between her teeth like vented steam, "tell me where Jano and Naota are!"

The guard, a rather unpleasant individual by the name of Nizo, snorted and went back to picking his claws. "Pissed if I know, woman. Go ask somebody else."

Makiko scowled. After thoroughly reaming Aiko over her monumental stupidity in letting Miroku take what he wanted of the medicinal herbs, she'd decided that since Jano declared the humans to be his responsibility, he damned well needed to do something about it. Discovering that Jano had disappeared from his bed in the infirmary had only added to her aggravation.

So far, all she'd been able to find out was that he'd gone off somewhere with Naota. Inuyasha hadn't been seen recently either. She'd expected him to be hovering over Kagome as the girl slept and was surprised when he wasn't. One of the maids thought she'd seen the hanyou-sama heading towards the storerooms that were in the oldest part of the fortress.

Now she'd come to discover Nizo, a man she normally considered too lazy to bother with a lie, skulking down here as if he'd been ordered to perform an unpleasant task. Makiko was no fool and she knew the guards' rotations quite well as a head of staff should. There was no reason for him to be guarding the dust of an unused corridor like it was hammered from solid gold.

Now her patience was truly at its end. Makiko grabbed the reluctant guard's ear between her claws and dug in.

"Ow! Leggo my ear, you damned bitch!"

"Not until you tell me the truth," she snarled, emphasizing her words with a brutal twist. All inuyoukai had sensitive ears and could not stand having them abused. Makiko was too angry to play fair, realizing that if Nizo was keeping watch in the deserted corridor instead of drinking with his comrades, there was only one person who could have threatened him into it.

"Where is Jano?" she asked sweetly.

"Told you I don't…ow!" Nizo's eyes were watering and he tried in vain to pull away from her, wincing when blood started to trickle down the inside of his ear. "Bitch, it's no wonder he don't wanna be found by you!"

She let him go, planting her hands on her hips and glowering up at Nizo. "If you know he doesn't want to be found, then you know where he's hiding."

Nizo's surly expression only grew uglier, if that was possible. "I ain't never said no such thing!"

Makiko tilted her head to the side, "I can make you wish that you told me," she said, considering her various options to persuade. "There are certain herbs than can be added to your food that will keep you on your knees and in the latrine for days, Nizo. If you don't want to be inspecting your meals for the next few months, you'd better give me answers."

Grumbling, he jerked his chin towards the end of the corridor. "Last door on the right," he muttered. "Ain't my business to be keeping his secrets, hell with you both anyway."

Ignoring him, Makiko stalked away with her fists clenched tightly. Just like Jano to hole himself away in the depths of the fortress when she needed him to keep order. Even recovering from his recent injuries, his presence would be a welcome authority during Sesshomaru-sama's absence. Strange guests, legendary war stallions, devious monks and exhausted humans aside, she had an entire fortress full of staff and guards that needed supervision, and by the gods, she was not going to do it all alone!

Reaching the end of the corridor, she shook back her hair, straightened her clothing, and shoved the door open without so much as a polite knock.

"Jano, you miserable…"

The words died in her throat and Makiko's mouth dropped open in surprise. As far as she knew, this was an unused storeroom, but it seemed she was misinformed. Jars and containers of varying sizes lined the walls, some stacked three or four deep. All bore a fine layer of dust, but it didn't keep her from reading the inscriptions on their surfaces. Rare vintages, distillations of sake and rice whiskey, crates of small clay jars and elegant vessels, they were piled to the ceiling in no particular order.

In the center of the room, a low table was covered by empty cups and spilled liquor. The strong aroma of alcohol made her nose burn and Makiko thought that a person of weaker constitution might actually become drunk just from the fumes. The scent of exotic spices hung in the air and when her eyes met Jano's, he slowly lowered the cup at his lips and gave her a smug grin.

"Makiko, how nice of you to join us."

"What…what the hell is this?" If the household guard had known that such a cache of booze existed, there was no way it could have been kept a secret. She raised her hands and then dropped them again in exasperation.

"Oh this?" Jano took a careful sip before setting his cup on the table. "This would be the private stash of our most revered former Daimyo. Its location was revealed only…eh, recently. A finer collection of intoxicants you will not find in all of the western lands."

"You're drunk!"

"Hardly." Grinning, he leaned back against a huge cask and gestured to his companions. "I'm not drunk yet, but I am working on it. Naota, on the other hand…"

Face down on the table, Naota's eyes were closed and his long braid fell over his folded arms like an afterthought. He stirred slightly when his name was mentioned, but otherwise didn't move from his comfortable position.

"Liar, you're no more sober than me," he said in a muffled, slurred voice.

"Never said I was sober," Jano replied, trying to sound dignified. His long hair trailed loose over his shoulders and he scratched absently at the bandages around his bare torso. "I should have said I wasn't drunk enough…yet."

"That the one you been talking about?" Naota asked, squinting at Makiko as if he was seeing double.

Jano positively beamed at her. "We were drinking to celebrate my soon-to-be fatherhood," he announced, reaching for a large jar. "Another round, Ta-kun?"

Raising his head, Naota was barely able to grasp the cup in front of him. "I'm not gonna drink to your virility," he muttered, swaying slightly as he brought the liquor to his lips. "I'll drink to the lady instead."

She was about to answer that when a loud snore interrupted her. Over in the corner, Inuyasha was sprawled on his back with both arms flung out on either side. His mouth was wide open, saliva glistening on his chin. With a snort, he suddenly twitched, muttered, and rolled over to bury his face in a fuzzy gray pillow.

Makiko blinked when the pillow wagged its tail, the head of a large dog suddenly appearing from under Inuyasha's white hair. It regarded her thoughtfully for a moment with dark eyes, then nudged the unconscious hanyou with its muzzle. Inuyasha grumbled softly, sounding like he was trying to curse in his sleep until the dog gave him a comforting lick on the nose.

"Brat can't handle his liquor," Naota said, sounding aggrieved. "Must be his human blood."

Jano raised an eyebrow. "And that's your excuse too?"

"I'm three-quarters youkai, you ass." Naota grinned, pushing his hair back from his forehead as he sat back. "And I can still drink you under the table."

"Is that so?" Answering the challenge in Naota's voice, Jano reached for a new jug of what seemed to be especially potent sake. "Well, we will see and…"

"Enough!" Makiko glowered at them both, hands on her hips and fuming. "I didn't come down here to watch the two of you drink yourselves piss-drunk!"

"You didn't?" Jano shrugged and sloshed clear alcohol into Naota's cup, spilling more than a bit. Apparently nowhere as sober as he was pretending, he smiled up at Makiko. "Then what did you want, sweetness?"

"Sweetness?" Makiko swore she was going to teach him a thing or two about sweetness. Not to mention the embarrassment of having him brag about her pregnancy, even if it did give her a warm feeling to know he was celebrating. If she didn't have so much to do, she'd show him a way to celebrate that didn't involve drinking himself into the floor.

All business now, she dug into her yukata for the packet of herbs. After Aiko pointed out what Miroku had taken, she'd been even more concerned and confused by the monk's actions. There was nothing here that would be healthy or helpful for a human…or woman who was carrying a hanyou child.

"Can either of you tell me what use a human might have for these?"

Naota opened the packets, rolling the crushed leaves between his fingers and sniffing thoughtfully. "I thought you were a healer in this fortress."

"I am." Makiko knew exactly how she would use these herbs, some exotic, some more mundane. "I was asking what use a human might have for them."

Rubbing his fingers together, Naota frowned and shook his head. "Not much, I'd say. This bitter root might be used to treat a fever, but I'd choose something more effective. If you steep these herbs in water, you could use them to draw out an infection, but it could leave a nasty scar on human skin."

Shrugging, he poured the contents of the packets on the table and stirred them with a finger. "Any of these can be used alone as a potent restorative for a youkai," he said, telling her the one thing she already knew. "If I found a demon at death's door from a battle, together these would be a most effective remedy for restoring their health."

Makiko relaxed a bit, grateful to hear that Miroku wasn't about to accidentally poison himself or Sango with some half-assed herb-lore. She didn't know what she'd been worried about, but it seemed the monk had no ill intentions. Although, why he would pick these well-known youkai remedies…

"However," Naota continued, oblivious to Makiko's relief, "this is something else." He held up the smallest packet, a salt that was commonly used for drying or treating animal hides. "If combined with these other herbs in the right proportions, you could produce a strong poison. In a weakened state, it could be fatal even to a strong youkai, certainly deadly to a human."

He dropped the packet on the table and met Makiko's eyes. "Has someone been poisoned?"

Her mouth very dry, Makiko swallowed hard. "I hope not."

oOo

After steeping the herbs that Miroku had given her, Sango poured the lightly colored liquid into a smaller container. When it had cooled, she cradled Sesshomaru's head in her lap and twisted a leaf and placed the end between her husband's lips.

"A restorative, you're sure?" Anxious as she was, Sango didn't mean to question Miroku, but she wanted to hear it from him just the same.

The monk nodded, leaning forward to pour the restorative tea into Sango's makeshift funnel. "As sure as I can be," he said quietly. "Aiko told me these herbs were given to youkai when they were weak from illness or injury. I confess that I don't know much about how they work."

"I hate feeling so helpless," Sango murmured, stroking Sesshomaru's hair. He was so quiet, so still. It was extremely unnerving, every few minutes she could feel the faintest of movements as he took a breath. His breathing was so slow that even when she pressed her fingers to his lips, she could feel no warmth, no blush of life in his soft skin.

A droplet appeared on his cheek, and then another and Sango closed her eyes.

_Live_, she whispered to him, speaking from the very heart of her soul. _We need you, I need you. I swear, I will never leave your side again_.

Watching them, Miroku couldn't help but feel like the intruder. All the words of comfort he knew only dried on his tongue, there was nothing he could say, nothing more than he could do. Other than to keep his silence as Sango sat a lonely vigil, waiting for the one she loved most to live. Or die. Or linger for days if that was what it took for a daiyoukai to return from the edge of darkness.

His eyes fell on the scabbard of Tenseiga, remembering again how Kohaku had died and then returned from death with a single stroke from Sesshomaru. _What a mystery_, he thought, _and what a burden to carry_. If the rumors he'd heard in the fortress were true, only Sesshomaru was able to use the blade that could cut death. What an irony that this same blade was useless when its master was the one in need.

Still, it hurt nothing to try.

"Here," he said, pushing the hilt towards Sango. "Put it in his hand, maybe it will help."

She nodded, carefully unsheathing the blade before placing the hilt in Sesshomaru's palm, cupping his pale fingers with her own as if she could will the sword to heal her lover.

Miroku got to his feet, legs aching from kneeling beside her for so long. Around them, the devastated earth was like an accusation, a slice of hell brought to the world of the living. Staring at the uprooted trees, the deep gouges where they had been torn from the ground, he let out a soft sigh. Death and destruction, it followed them like a hound after prey.

Only this time, there would be no innocents to bury and mourn. So many lonely deaths, so many graves dug in silence. It didn't seem decent to him, not even now, to leave something like that lying under kind sunshine. He would have no words to speak, no blessing to offer, for this thing that had nearly destroyed Sango, her child, and the youkai that had learned to love a human.

Dark blood, sticky and nearly black against the ground, was congealed and thick around the body. Swallowing against the nausea that rose up in his throat, Miroku hesitated to come closer. He could see the horrific wounds, no less than the bastard deserved, and steeled himself against the urge to run away. Even in death, this thing was no less horrible and no less corrupt in the eyes of nature.

"I suppose it would be decent to bury you," he murmured, forcing himself to stare down at the ravaged face. "It would be better than you deserve, actually." He stopped a breeze played with the pitch-black hair of the monster, the darkness that lay unmoving and malignant as a promised threat.

_No help for it_, he decided grimly. "I won't leave you to rot, although you deserve much worse," he informed the corpse. "And I won't bury you either, because your corpse would offend the spirits of this forest and only breed more evil."

Miroku set his staff on the ground, starting to remove the beads around his hand. "Luckily," he said, wondering why he felt compelled to explain even to the dead, "I am uniquely equipped to deal with something like you. Inside my palm, I have a curse, a gift of our mutual friend, Naraku. If, for once, I can use this wind tunnel to cleanse this world of an abomination like yourself, I should thank him for it."

He had just unwrapped the beads and about to open his hand, when a guttural sound, like oil and glass dragged over shredded flesh reached his ears.

"A wind tunnel, you say. That's something not tried before." Again, a dark and bubbling laugh and Miroku froze, caught in a gaze so dark and empty that it chilled him from the inside out.

"Dear gods," the monk whispered. "How can you still be alive?"

Split lips parted in a wild, feral smile. "Come closer, little monk," the monster rasped. "I'll show you how it feels to live…as the dead."

oOo

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